Between A Tiger and A Stag
by Copper Vixen
Summary: Can six illegal animagi survive the Forbidden Forest, Death Eater attacks, and each other?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

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Prologue**

The town of Little Whinging was bathed in moonlight. The stars flickering like hundreds of small candles in the sky. Just down the street from Four Privet Drive, the heavily wooded forest stood lush and silent. The branches shifting in the calmest summer breeze, setting leaves to rustling softly. Dew clung to wildflowers and the thick grass, giving the forest a fresh and brilliant shimmer. The moons pale rays glinted softly between branches, allowing beams to create dappled patterns across the forest floor. Mice scampered from brush to leaf, constantly watching for any danger.

Slipping quietly through the shadows, a great animal paused and raised its head. Nostrils flaring as it scented the wind, elegant head angled slightly upwards. The stag flicked its tail before proceeding carefully into a small thicket, his black coat allowing him to fade into the shadows before emerging. Panels of moonlight turned his dark hide a shining silver. Lowering a delicate hoof, he pawed at the earth before raising his head and bellowing. The cry ringing out through the forest and setting dogs to barking in their homes. Shaking his head, he slowly curved his neck, nibbling at the tender shoots of grass growing beneath his hooves. The whisper of wings had him tensing before stamping one hoof in irritation, bright emerald eyes tracing the silent path of a white owl floating overhead. Duty called.

Snorting unhappily, the stag turned and began a silent glide through the thick brush. His antlers caught and pulled at low hanging branches, shredding leaves and tearing bark. Flashing eyes trailed the owl winging unhurriedly across the sky, each beat of its wings sending mice scurrying for cover. A white slash began above one of his eyes, encircling the base of the antler before climbing the bone. Where the second antler was covered by soft black velvet, the first remained bare. Each point a glistening threat and reminder to all other animals the he was a king among them. He ignored the grasping branches that raked at his heaving sides, barely slowing when his antlers tangled in dangling vines. His strides lengthened as he moved fluidly into a graceful canter, tucking his forelegs as he bounced daintily over a downed log.

The low jangle of metal on metal accompanied his floating presence. A small circlet was wrapped loosely around one of his back hocks; two little figures hanging from it. The first was that of a wolf, its carved sides glowing reddish under the light while blues eyes twinkled happily. A small fox hung next to the wolf; its fluffy fur seemed to whisper back and forth in the breeze created by the stags rush.

The low thunder of his hooves heralded his arrival at the edge of the forest. Sides trembled and nostrils flared with every deep breath he took. Lowering his head, he lipped at the wisps of grass tickling his muzzle, eyes rolled back so he could watch the dark sky above him. The ghostly form of the owl gave a final haunting call before sweeping onward into the small community, leaving the stag standing alone. Giving a sharp sigh, the massive animal threw his head back and bellowed before dissolving into silver mist. The branches stirred softly as the breeze picked up and clouds floated before the moon.

* * *

Thunder rumbled softly in the distance and sheet lightening set the night sky a glow. White stone glittered beneath every caress of light. The wind set the tree branches to twisting and bending beneath its power, every gust sending the wood too groaning and creaking. Leaves seethed against each other creating a deafening hiss, the dark green overpowered by the paler undersides. Surrounding the sprawling manor, gardens waited patiently for the first drops of rain. Roses and lilies stirred in the wind that teased around their stems, swaying quietly back and forth with bright faces turned eagerly upward. The first few drops of rain fell, tinkling loudly.

Gliding through the shadows, a large animal paused. Standing silently, it observed the first teasing drops of rain. In a few short seconds, the sky opened up and rain thundered down, showering the awaiting earth. Sinking into the thick shadows, the massive white tiger shook his coat free of small water droplets. Rumbling unhappily, he pinned his ears back and glared at the tree offering him solace within its reaching branches. Settling back, he wiggled his powerful hindquarters before springing effortlessly up. Claws bit and tore at bark, gouging marks in the ancient trunk.

Plopping down on a low-slung branch, he hissed at the pounding drizzle occurring beyond his perch. Thin black stripes ran the length of his snow-white coat. His tail was long and thick, banded and topped with a cap of rich dark fur. Blue eyes narrowed in silent anger, tail swishing in a show of annoyance. His sand paper tongue traced the soft fur of one paw, nostrils twitching as he tested the night air. The thick scent of damp earth clung at his fur, making him even madder. Raising his muzzle skyward, he parted his jaws and roared. Thunder competed with the angry challenge, fading out before the trail end of the large cats roar. Purring in satisfaction that his call had gone unchallenged, he continued his quiet grooming.

His tongue ran over a gold bracelet wrapped around one of his forepaws. The chain tugged at his fur but he tolerated the sensation. Carefully flattening the fur beneath the pair of charms hanging from the metal. A wolf with its muzzle raised in mock howl shimmered white like the palest of gold. Dangling next to the wolf, a mink crouched, inquisitive eyes appearing to dart back and forth. Both had been crafted by the best goldsmith, the spell cast by the best charmers he could find.

Yawning widely, he tucked his tail close and locked his claws into the tree branch he was resting on. His eyes slid closed slowly as the storm growled on around him. With a last deep breath, the white tiger fell asleep. The storm continued its angered rage, thunder and lightening dancing through the sky.

* * *

Beyond the kingdom and territory of the mightiest of kings and the fiercest of hunters, a castle glowed brightly. Hundreds of owls spewing from its windows carrying letters for special students across the country. Wings caressed the night sky as the owls floated towards their destinations, clutching parchment tightly. Some students would take the first steps into witchcraft or wizardry, while others would pick up the reins from last year. Rivalries and friendships would fade and grow; all would depend upon the actions and intentions of the Tiger and the Stag.

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A/N: Okay, I know its short but its only the prologue and I promise chapters will get longer. Pretty please give me your opinion about whether or not I should continue, thanks. 


	2. Sleepness Nights

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

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Chapter 1 - Sleepless Nights**

The sun beat down on the thick woods just down the road from the Burrow. A playful wind tossed leaves and set the branches to singing softly while the long grass twisted and turned under its masterful caress. The low crinkle of dead leaves had the stag raising his head and rolling bright emerald eyes while watching the approaching shadow. His muscles bunched as he lowered his muzzle, ears twitching as he patiently waited for the dark form to make its move. With a sharp snarl, a wolf with a thick shaggy coat sprang from the bushes, fangs snapping at the air where the stags hind legs had just been. Growling playfully, the wolf sank back on his haunches and observed the dark stag prancing threateningly before him, its antlers lowered in warning.

A low yip, had both halting their antics and turning to look into the tall grass. Stag and wolf watched with some trepidation as a small vixen with a dark brown coat slid to a stop before them. Panting slightly the female fox glanced over her shoulder and then darted past the pair into the forest, fleeing from some threat neither of the them had picked up on. Shaking his head at her antics, the stag turned and attempted to leap sideways as the wolf locked its jaws in the thick fur of his lower throat. Bellowing in outrage, the dark animal swung a sharp hoof at the offender, knocking the snarling beast loose. Tucking his head, he shook his antlers and-

"Ron! Harry! Hermione! Dinner!" Mrs. Weasley's voice carried across the meadow and into the forest. The red wolf gave a frightened bark before turning and running into the thicker trees with his tail between his legs, following the path the vixen had taken only moments ago. The stag grunted and glided into the woods, head held proudly as he silently paced after the pair of canines.

"Hurry up Harry!" Hermione admonished, her hands working at straightening the blue sweater she was wearing. Rolling his emerald eyes, he allowed the change to settle upon him. The quick warming bite of magic encompassed him before he rolled his shoulders and brushed his fingers through his black hair.

"Mum is going to kill us!" Ron practically wailed as he brushed frantically at the dark green jumper he was wearing, blue eyes peering in the direction of the Burrow.

"Take it easy Ron. As far as she knows we're playing Quidditch and Hermione is reading, nothing to get worried about." Harry soothed, trying not to chuckle at the panic creeping across his friend's face. Scooping up the brooms resting unused on the ground, he tossed one to Ron before glancing at Hermione who was doing a final inspection of the group. A repeated yell had the trio wincing before rushing into the woods, clutching their alibis and brushing evidence from their clothes.

* * *

Harry sat cross-legged on the small bed in Ron's room, fingers playing with the bracelet wrapped around his ankle. The chain was a thick silver, strong enough to stand against the wear and tear it experienced while he was running on four legs. Sighing softly, his eyes roved around the room and rested on Ron's snoring form for a moment. The red head was sprawled on his back, one arm wrapped around his pillow while the other cradled a plastic replica of a Nimbus. Harry chuckled before closing his eyes and leaning against the wall behind him. His ears picked up the faint noises of the house, every creak of wood and click of the clock hands. Six more hours and they'd be on the train to Hogwarts again, a journey he had come to adore over the past five years.

His eyes flickered open, and he groaned before dropping his head into one of his hands while the other returned to rub against the charms hanging from the silver circlet. He smiled as he remembered the day Hermione had presented them to Ron and him. Her explanation on what spell she'd used as well as how she'd managed to get everything had been a dull murmur in the back of his head as his eyes had traced the gift. It was a telepathic link bracelet, allowing the three of them to communicate while they were in their animagus forms. She had made each of them one and insisted they wear them whenever they went out in their animagus forms. Harry had immediately taken to wearing his around his ankle, preferring to hide the charms rather then having to answer the dozen questions people asked upon seeing it. Ron wore his on a long chain under his shirt, while Hermione's were held on a hemp bracelet around her wrist.

Harry ran a hand across his face while his fingers played with the silver charms, fingers brushing first the wolf and then the fox. The wolf was Ron's totem and fit him admirably. He tended to be loyal and strong, he also did best while in a pack or surrounded by friends. Hermione was clever and cunning, thus the vixen was a perfect animagus for her. And he, Harry, had taken on the form that his father had once had: the Stag. It had taken Hermione five minutes to inform Harry why he made a good stag. He was strong, brave, proud, and extremely protective of his friends. The list was long but those few were the ones that had stood out the most.

It had taken weeks to figure out how the spell worked and exactly what it took to use it. Hours of practice and the draining of magic had brought all three low at various points in their experiment but it had paid off. Each of them was able to shift their form without a moments notice, allowing them to dodge or maneuver in an unexpected way. It was his ace-in-the-hole as far as Harry was concerned. A low groan had him glancing at Ron and watching as his friend ran a hand over his face before slowly opening one of his eyes.

"Harry, go to sleep already." He grumbled as he rolled over, eyes seeming to glow in the dark for a moment.

"I can't." Harry whispered softly, ignoring the subtle whispering the presence in his mind was giving.

Ron sat up slowly, blankets dropping to rest in his lap as he rested his weight against the head board of the dilapidated bed. "Voldemort?" The question was asked softly.

"No, it's just the stag." He murmured softly, frowning as the animal in him shook its head and bellowed for release. Rather then vanishing completely, the animagus was always present within his mind. Constantly giving its opinion and warnings, the stag was both a distraction and a life saver.

"Do you need to go out again?" Ron demanded, elbows resting on his knees as his hands cradled his chin. He watched Harry carefully as the other wizard chewed on his lip before shaking his head.

"No, I'll wait. Besides the chances of us getting out of here undetected our slim, your mum's probably got spells all over the door." Harry grinned at the look on Ron's face. Yawning widely, he pressed his head back against the wall and peered up at the ceiling. "Go back to sleep Ron. A few more hours and we'll be on our way to Hogwarts."

"Sure mate, just make sure you get a few hours of sleep." Ron muttered, slumping back down in the bed and dragging the frayed blankets over his head. Harry nodded and watched as Ron dropped into sleep quickly, snorting in amusement when his friend unconsciously reached for the model broom. His eyes glanced at the clock resting on the messy night table, five hours and twenty-five minutes to go. Sighing unhappily, he pulled a magazine from the pile resting on the floor and thumbed through the pages, stopping at an article on the pros and cons of the newest brooms. A few more hours and he'd be safe again, with that thought in mind, he settled down to occupy himself until it was time to leave.

* * *

Draco nibbled on a fingernail as his blue eyes passed over the maze of trunks and clothes littering the floor. His room was an absolute mess but that didn't matter to him, he wouldn't be the one cleaning it. Smirking at the thought, he removed a black cloak from his closet and carefully considered it before tossing it onto the floor behind him. Shaking his head in annoyance, he stepped over a packed trunk and pulled open a drawer. Where the hell was his silver cloak? Snarling in anger, he roared for his personal house elf. Sighing, he threaded his fingers through his hair and pulled it away from his face, eyes once again searching the room.

"Mother Have you seen my cloak?" Draco bellowed, inspecting his nails while he waited for her reply.

"No. Did you pack it already?" Narcissa's voice echoed around the upper corridor. Growling unhappily, he flung open his closet door and began tossing clothes left and right. The light pop of Lurcy had him whipping around and glaring at the dirty form cowering before him.

"My cloak, the silver one my father gave me. Find it." He hissed, watching as the small creature vanished and appeared a moment later cradling a mound of silver silk. Snatching it, he shook the material out and frowned at a crease in the cloth but folded it carefully and placed it in a waiting trunk. His mother's voice rose in greeting and he tipped his head as he tried to figure out who could be visiting at this time of night.

"Hey Draco." Blaise called happily, pressing the door to Draco's chamber open and stepping bravely into the mess.

"Evening Blaise." Draco mumbled, closing the lid of his trunk and sliding a lock into place. Flicking his wand, he maneuvered the heavy piece of luggage into the pile already waiting beside the door.

"All packed? Or have you perhaps forgotten something?" Blaise asked sarcastically as he flopped onto the bed, shoving aside several books before settling himself against the pillows.

"No, I think I'm done." Draco snorted in amusement, twisting one of his wrists slightly so the gold bracelet resting there slid into a more comfortable position.

"You planning on going out tonight?" Blaise questioned, eyes darting towards the door resting open a crack.

"No, I've got to get organized a bit more. We'll have plenty of time to play once we get to Hogwarts." Draco said, eyes carefully avoiding the gaze of the other wizard. Shrugging to himself, he pulled his broom from beneath his bed and placed it atop the soft black comforter, pushing one of Blaise's dirty boots away from the shining wood.

"Your sure you'll be okay?" Blaise muttered, trying to keep the conversation quiet so no one passing down the hall would over hear them.

"Yes, I'm fine. No claws, no fangs. Perfectly fine." Draco whispered, striding to his closet and pulling his broom bag from where it hung among the fine robes and shirts his mother insisted he wear. Pausing before leaving the small room, he pondered over whether or not he should pack another pair of boots. Chewing his lip, he glanced at the heap of trunks before sighing and shaking his head, closing the door softly before deciding to pack anhything else he probably wouldn't need.

"I see, but if you do need to go out you'll contact Pansy or I? You can't go trekking out alone at night, even if you are a predator in your own right." Blaise instructed, fingers tugging at the front of his shirt as he considered the embroidered cloak resting on the bed beside him. "Can I-"

"Yes I will, and no you can't." Draco stated, not even glancing up from where he was carefully sliding his broom into its traveling bag. "Shouldn't you be at home packing?"

"Nope, mum's doing it for me. She said after what happened last year she can't trust me to pack my own stuff, which works for me because I really don't need the added stress of figuring out what cloak looks best with those ugly boots she bought me." Blaise said cheerfully, his eyes following Draco's movements with something akin to awe.

Draco shook his head and sighed as he set his broom atop the pile and stepped back to admire his handiwork. In the distance a clock began to chime the time, each loud reverberating bong seeming to shake the house. "Six more hours." He muttered softly.

"Yeah, only a few more and we'll be aboard the Hogwarts Express. Do you think you'll be able to control your Tiger once we get to school?" Blaise questioned, serious for the first time this evening. Draco raised his pale blue eyes and smiled at the question.

"Blaise, I promise if I have even the smallest problem I'll tell you. I still don't see why I have so much more trouble controlling my animagus form." Shaking his head at the thought, he ignored the unhappy snarl bouncing around his mind and pushed down the need to pace. "Once we get to Hogwarts we'll have the whole Forbidden Forest to ourselves. There's plenty of room to hunt and play without worrying about being caught. I mean, it's not like there's another group of animagi running around the school." Draco grumbled, pausing for a moment to grin at Blaise who was still admiring the dark cloak.

"I know. Just remember that Potter and his pals always seem to find their way into trouble. We'll have to be careful about when and where we go out." Blaise paused as his name was called up the stairs. Groaning softly he padded towards the door but halted with one hand resting on the doorknob. Glancing back at the wizard standing in the center of the messy room, he bit his lip but still opened his mouth and said what was on his mind. "How long are you going to let the Tiger control you Draco? It's obviously searching for something but are you ever going to allow him to find it?" With that said he left the room.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Draco hollered after Blaise's retreating form. Biting down the feeling that maybe Blaise was right, he called for his house elf and ordered it to clean the room. Gliding towards the balcony off his small sitting room, he peered up at the moon and pushed down the urge to transform and run. Closing his eyes, his allowed his head fell back as he sighed, five more hours and twenty-five minutes until they'd be on their way. He paused for a moment when the Tiger in him halted its growling and purred softly, a feeling of contentedness sweeping over him. Maybe going back to school wasn't such a bad idea...

* * *

A/N: I hate writing first chapters due to the amount of explaining that has to be done before you can get into the really good stuff. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and I hope this chapter didn't disappoint anybody.

fourth-face-of-the-goddess - lol, you got Blaise right and by now you should have guessed the other but if you haven't you'll just have to wait.  
Iredesent-lol, glad you're enjoying it but I'm sad to say nothing will get really tromped or charged for a few chapters. BloodyMarry - lol, you got them perfect!


	3. The Return to Hogwarts

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

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Chapter 2 - The Return to Hogwarts**

The rhythmic rumble of the train as it thundered down the tracks had Harry yawning widely and throwing an arm across his eyes. The compartment they were in was slightly warmer then it could have been but with the summer sun shining in the windows there was really nothing that could be done. He stretched out a little further and propped his feet against the window ledge, attempting to ignore the grumbles coming from the other bench. He knew without looking that Hermione was reading the massive book she'd been dragging around for the past two days and Ron was half-heartedly trying to read an old article in a Quidditch magazine.

Loud voices calling back and forth down the hall had Harry whimpering in defeat. He knew it was the first day back and everyone was happy to see each other but did they really have to be so loud about it? The low creak as the compartment door slid open had Harry tensing but relaxing just as fast. The light smell that invaded his nose was one he recognized, having spent the past week at the Burrow. Ginny's high-excited voice had him gritting his teeth and sliding one eye open. Peering around his hand, he viewed the young girl with tired eyes. Heaving a reluctant sigh, he was about to sit up when Hermione dropped her book on the seat and fled the compartment with Ginny close on her heels.

"Please say the problem is in the first car." Harry prayed softly, ignoring Ron's snort of amusement.

"No such luck, mate. There's a fight between some Slytherins and Ravenclaws two cars back, Hermione's dealing with it." Ron announced, smashing Harry's dreams of a quick nap.

"Thanks a lot Ron." Harry grumbled, burying his face in the crook of his arm and trying to settle deeper into the hard cushions of the bench. Silence settled on the compartment again as he allowed himself to drift, all thoughts easing from his mind. A loud thud and the sudden rush of cool air had his eyes jerking open.

"Well if it isn't Scarhead and his little Weasel." Harry rolled his eyes as he recognized the voice. Lying quietly, he kept his face hidden beneath his arm and hoped the blonde would leave before a serious altercation occurred. He shifted his head slightly and peeked carefully around his elbow, eyeing the elegant wizard leaning in the doorway with a slight frown. Something was different. The stag was shifting below the surface of his mind, bugling and snorting in warning. Harry pressed the feeling down and hoped Ron managed to control his own animagus to some degree.

"Shut up Malfoy!" Ron snarled. Remaining perfectly still, Harry listened as the magazine dropped forgotten to the floor and the door creaked as weight was applied to it.

"Aw, is the wittle Weasel afraid I'll wake up Scarhead." Draco Malfoy crooned, tossing a quick glance over his shoulder to check for anyone who might try and interfere with his fun.

"Son of a Death Eater!" Ron roared, jerking to his feet and beginning a slow prowling stalk towards the other wizard. His hands were extended and he'd bared his teeth in what could have been either a tactic to inflict fear or the wolf inside him trying to get out. Before he could make it any further, Hermione slid around the edge of the door and pushed past Malfoy, placing a restraining hand on Ron's shoulder.

Shoving Ron back into his seat against the window, she whirled on Draco and eyed him angrily, arms crossed and one foot tapping loudly, "You're both in Sixth year and should be setting a good example for the younger students. Not squabbling like a bunch of immature little babies. You, Draco Malfoy, are a Slytherin Prefect. Just a moment ago I had to stop a fight between members of your house, which might I add, is your job. I suggest you leave off tormenting us and go change into your school robes." Thus stated, the aggravated Gryffindor sat back down and reclaimed her book, ignoring the stares and glares pointed in her direction. Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing and focused on the disgruntled look on Draco's face.

Icy blue eyes cast an angered look around the compartment as the wizard curled his lip and sneered at them. Harry stiffened as the pale orbs fell on him, acknowledging the fact that his stag was standing quietly in his mind in a solitary effort to avoid conflict with what it viewed as a dangerous animal.

"Mind your own business mudblood, the Weasel and I were just having a little conversation." Draco spat, taking a slow predatory step into the compartment, eyes fastened on Harry's prone body. Before he could proceed any further, a hand seized his wrist and jerked him back out of the small room, leaving the trio staring at the empty door way.

"Close the door behind you!" Ron bellowed for good measure, pretending he hadn't noticed the pissed off look gracing Hermione's face.

"I can't believe the pair of you. I leave you alone for one minute and you start a fight." The Gryffindor Prefect said, shaking her head while turning the page of her book. Ron sputtered for a moment before reclaiming his magazine from the floor and flipping it open, reddening as one of the pages ripped. Harry chuckled and sat up slowly, peering out the window before flopping back wards. Stretching, he rubbed the back of his neck and observed the pair sitting silently across from him; both pretending the other didn't exist.

"Um, Hermione? Did Draco seem different to you?" He asked finally. Harry held his breath as Hermione and Ron exchanged a look before nodding slowly, preferring to put their differences aside for the moment and deal with the problem at hand.

"Yes, he did," Hermione said softly, setting her book back down and looking thoughtfully at Harry. "He seemed more dangerous; a greater threat then usual."

Ron nodded in agreement, chewing his lip for a moment as he tried to remember exactly what he had felt upon seeing the Slytherin. "To me, he didn't really seem to be that big of a threat. Not that I've ever felt Malfoy was a threat; a stupid prig maybe but not a threat." Harry grinned at Ron's words but couldn't push down the feelings that were consuming him. To him, Malfoy had been a hunting predator ready to pounce.

"What did you feel Harry?" Hermione questioned quietly, breaking his chain of thought. Slowly raising his eyes, he met the searching gaze of one of the smartest people he knew. "I felt like I was staring death in the eye," he whispered softly. Rising slowly, Harry grabbed his bag and pulled out his robes, leaving the pair sitting in silence while he went to change.

* * *

The Great Hall was loud as students poured in, ready for another year. House tables were filling up as good natured cheers began, house rivalry coming to the fore as students claimed places on benches and prepared for the Sorting. A hush fell upon the hall as Professor McGonagall led the fearful first years forward, their eyes widening as the roars of the older students picked up. A glare and raised hands silenced the students, all watching with bated breath as the sorting hat was brought forward and placed on a stool before the Head Table. Within seconds it burst into song, weaving a silent message through its words. Younger students whispered in awe as the older students tried to piece together the clues dropped in the verse. As the Hat was removed by the Gryffindor Head of House, Dumbledore rose and took his place at the podium.

"Another year at Hogwarts has begun, and I must say how pleased I am to see you all here. In these times, we must value all the time we have together. While I hope you all enjoy the company of your fellow witches and wizards, I must remind you of several important rules. I first ask that you refrain from using any Zonko's products while on school property. You will also notice several corridors have been marked as out of bounds and I would suggest you heed these warnings. After all, one doesn't know what they might run into while walking down an abandoned hall. The final reminder I must give concerns the Forbidden Forest. I understand the need to explore and the feeling of excitement one gets when they are breaking rules but the Forbidden Forest holds creatures that you know nothing of. That is all for now, let the feast begin." Dumbledore clapped his hands and dishes appeared before the quiet students. As the old wizard took his seat, the hall burst into noise and Hogwarts resumed its normal rhythm.

* * *

Draco Malfoy paced his private room with long lazy strides, robes trailing silently along the floor behind him. The pale marble floors were traced with silver and emerald, the room seeming empty as his every footfall echoed around the chamber. Sitting quietly on a chair before the small fire, Pansy was curled up in a thick velvet throw. Her eyes following his every move with the intensity of a hunting predator.

"Draco, what happened on the train?" Pansy murmured quietly, shrinking back against the chair as glowing eyes fastened on her. The fire crackled merrily, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the room.

"Yeah, for a minute there I thought you were going to jump Potter." Blaise put in from where he was sitting on the bed, his cloak resting across his lap. Shaking his head at the question, Draco stalked towards the fire and flopped into the chair across from Pansy, toeing his shoes off. Giving a soft snarl, he sank his fingers into the rich cloth and glared at his fellow Slytherins.

"I don't know. It wasn't me so much as the tiger in me. For a minute I looked at him and it was like I wasn't seeing him. He smelled so good." Draco whispered softly, eyes closing slowly as he curled his lip in distaste. Blaise and Pansy looked at each other before refocusing on Draco, watching as the pale wizard rubbed his face and raised tired eyes towards the fire.

"What do you mean he smelled 'good'?" Blaise asked, one eyebrow raised as his fingers played over the emerald comforter beneath him. A low throb filled the room as Draco swiveled his head and glared at the other wizard.

"He smelled like rabbit, like something to be hunted." Draco muttered unhappily as his eyes drifted closed again. Blaise hissed sharply at the words, his eyes jerking to meet Pansy's. Both exchanged another long look before peering carefully at Draco.

"Draco, neither of us could smell Harry." Blaise whispered, fingers clenching against the soft material.

"Perhaps it was just your imagination." Pansy suggested softly, tucking her feet under the throw in an effort to get warmer. A cool breeze twisted its way through the room, reminding them all that they were back at Hogwarts and would most likely not be warm again until they returned home.

"No, I could smell it clearly...but at the same time I sensed danger. I didn't think he was that powerful though." Draco murmured, bare feet resting on the grate before the crackling embers. Silence crept over the room, each of them locked within their own thoughts as they stared into the mesmerizing flames.

A low pop from the cheerful blaze had Pansy shaking her head and glancing at the gold watch around her wrist. "It's a little after ten, we should all go to bed so we aren't late tomorrow."

"We're Slytherins Pansy, being late only makes us more mysterious." Draco said before slowly rising and stretching. Picking up his discarded boots and socks, he moved towards his trunk and closet, tossing the worn items into a hamper to be cleaned by a house elf.

"Yes, and for some reason makes the Gryffindors think we're up to something." Blaise murmured thoughtfully, abandoning Draco's bed and heading towards the door. Giving a wave over his shoulder, he beckoned to Pansy before sliding out the door.

"Good night Draco." Pansy whispered, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before dashing after her boyfriend. Draco watched the door thud close before dropping his boots in the bottom of his wardrobe. Leaning against the doors, he turned and looked around the room. It seemed sterile and cold without the presence of other people. Whoever had decorated needed a good boot in the butt as far as he was concerned. Shivering, he pulled a cloak of emerald green cloth from his trunk and moved to sit back before the fire, resuming his former position and thoughts.

* * *

Harry rested his head against the window frame, breathing deeply of the cool night air. The sixth year boys dorm was still empty, the other guys were still in the Common Room exchanging anecdotes and stories about their summers. He had nothing to tell. It was hard to sit in a room full of happy joking people when it felt like the room was closing in on you. Since claiming his animagus form, he'd begun to hate being inside. Even when he was among friends, the sky and surrounding forest beckoned. The pounding of feet and the low thud as the door was pushed open had him turning and glancing at the doorway.

"Harry!" Ron yelped in delight, bouncing across the room with the enthusiasm of a puppy chasing a ball. Plopping down on his own bed, the redhead grinned and looked at the jumble of clothes and books spread across Harry's red coverlet. "Unpacking already?"

"I figured I might as well get a start. At least then I won't be late for breakfast." Harry replied, closing the window in a casual movement.

"We've never missed breakfast yet." Ron laughed, there had been several close calls but they had never actual missed a morning meal. Blue eyes traveled over the mess before an eyebrow raised and a slow grin crept across the freckled face. "You wanna toss this stuff back in your trunk and go for a quick run?"

Harry chewed on his lip for a moment as he looked back at the window. It was a nice night out. The moon was at the perfect height and a swift breeze was playing through the leaves of the trees. He could already feel the wind in his face and the quiet crunch of grass beneath his hooves. "Let me grab my cloak and we'll go."

"Ronald Weasley! Harry Potter!" Both wizards flinched and turned slowly towards the door, cringing as their names were bellowed up the stairs again.

"Why is she yelling at us? We haven't done anything." Harry whispered at Ron, eyeing the door like it was a hungry lion about to pounce.

"Are you sure you haven't done anything?" Ron demanded, eyes wide as the cry was repeated yet again.

"I haven't left the room and why doesn't she just come up the stairs? It's a lot less embarrassing that way." Harry muttered, as he stormed across the room. His hand had just brushed the doorknob when the heavy door swung open revealing the red-faced witch.

"When I call you the least you can do is respond." Hermione hissed as she breezed into the room. Pausing at the foot of his bed, she eyed the pile of clothes before seating herself next to Ron.

"Sorry Hermione, we didn't hear you," Harry said. Running a hand across his eyes, he moved back to his bed and began to sort through his belongings, carefully placing things where they belonged.

"That's alright Harry. I just wanted to remind you both of several things before I went to bed. First of all, Ronald, is that we're not at the Burrow anymore and must be careful about when and where we go out. We're illegal animagi and we'd be in really big trouble if someone found out. Second of all, there's people in this castle who would love to give us trouble and advertising that we're animagi is not something we should do." Hermione stated quietly, eyes resting on the door in case anyone chose that moment to walk in.

"But Hermione-"

"No Ron! There are just too many people running around here for us to take the chance of getting caught. I'll also warn you that the communication bracelets aren't to be worn to class. If I catch either of you wearing them while we're supposed to be paying attention I'll inflict serious damage." Hermione muttered, holding up a single finger to still Ron's protests. Sighing unhappily, Harry nodded before glancing at the window longingly.

"Come on Hermione, think of how much better we'd both do in class, especially Potions." Ron pleaded, widening his eyes and clasping his hands together before him.

"No Ron! That's cheating! I'm going to bed now and I suggest you two do the same." Hermione rose and brushed off her robes before giving them both a quick hug. Half way to the door she paused and turned around, peering at them with a gleam in her eye. "Harry? Can I see your invisibility cloak for a minute?"

Harry nodded slowly and retrieved the cloak from where it rested within his trunk, running a loving hand over the material. Eyeing Hermione warily, he moved towards her and held the cloak out. Hermione smiled at him before she took the cloak and settled it over her arm, giving a last wave as she headed out the door.

"Hermione? Where are you taking Harry's cloak?" Ron called in a worried voice, chasing the witch from the room. Hermione's loud reply echoed up the stairs as Harry moved back to the window.

"I'm not stupid Ron." Harry released the lock on the window and pushed it wide open. Resting his chin on his crossed arms, he stared out into the night and listened to his friends argue while the cool wind caressed his face.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who took the time to review. I'm actually having a little trouble pulling this together but hopefully the next chapter will come easier. Thanks again.

Iredesent – lol, wow someone's a little excited.  
Lady Silverhawk – My my, what a mind you have there…lol. Pansy shall play the role of loving and caring friend to Draco.  
BloodyMarry – You'll just have to wait and see…


	4. Flight of Fear

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

My thanks to those who took the time to review:

Ninjaofthedarkness – lol, we'll see what happens  
Lady Silverhawk – lol, those types of minds are often the best for plotting  
LandUnderWave –I'd hate to spoil the plot for you…  
keeper of most knowledge – She is, unfortunately, preventing the boys from going on any midnight escapades  
Iredesent – lol, hopefully I'll be able to reward your excitement.

**

* * *

Chapter 3-Flight of Fear **

Harry groaned and rolled over slowly, his hands running absently through his dark hair. He slid his eyes open a crack before pushing a hand past the bed curtains and retrieving his glasses. Blinking a few times, he moaned softly before thrusting aside the dark velvet curtains, wincing at the morning sunlight pouring into the tower room.

"Get up Ron." He called softly as he abandoned his warm bed in favour of digging out fresh robes from his trunk. Ron's mumbled excuse had him sighing before waving his wand, watching the curtains swing open. Sun flooded the room, creating lines across the covers and falling directly into the red heads eyes.

"It's too early Harry." Ron whined, one of his hands's drawing the blankets over the head of red hair. Harry stood and contemplated the slow rise and fall of the blankets, if anything he agreed with Ron.

"Fine, but remember it's the first day of class and you'll miss breakfast." Harry stated, turning and heading towards the door with his stuff. He smiled at the unhappy groan emitted from the heap of red material but continued on his way, calling a greeting to Dean on his way out. Today was the first day of a new year, it set the bar for every day following it. He could only cross his fingers and pray that today would be just like every other day and nothing tragic or unusual occurred.

* * *

Emerald eyes were locked on the piece of parchment hovering before them, a slight narrowing to them indicating the suspicion that Harry felt. Professor McGonagall waved the paper at him again, sighing and shoving it into his hands while shaking her head and muttering about not getting enough sleep before continuing down the table with the pile of schedules. Hermione let out a squeal of delight, which caused him to jump slightly, turning his head and glancing down at the schedule she clutched. 

"I got everything I wanted! I even have several study periods between classes." She exclaimed, hands already folding the paper neatly in preparation for storage. Harry sighed and shook his head, the movement sending dark hair flopping uncontrollably. He didn't even want to look at his; it would only depress him.

"What's your schedule like Harry?" She asked, hand extended as she waited for him to pass her the piece of paper. Grumbling unhappily, he pushed the paper into her welcoming hands and turned back to his breakfast, fork hovering over the cold eggs. Rolling his eyes, he pushed the plate away and began to serve himself a new dish, pausing as he watched the red head across from him plow through a pile of bacon while buttering a slice of toast at the same time.

"Oh dear, you have History of Magic with the Slytherins while I'm in Ancient Runes." Hermione mumbled, comparing the schedules carefully, fingers gliding across the three pieces of parchment with the skill of an artist, "And Ron has Muggle Studies at the same time. That's horrid luck. It means you'll both have to pay attention for a change." She added brightly, handing the schedules back and tucking her own away. Ron and Harry exchanged a look of desperation across the table, slightly horrified at the thought of having a class without the other.

"Hey Harry." Dean called happily down the table, waving his schedule in greeting. "Heard you have History of Magic first thing this morning, just think of it as an extended nap. You may as well start going to class in your pajamas." Hermione glared at Dean and shook her head while Harry and Ron laughed.

History of Magic was the class that everyone slept through, it was slow and tedious, which made it a perfect time for a quick nap. Rising slowly he stretched, and glanced around the Great Hall as he stepped over the bench, his eyes falling on the Slytherin table. He heaved a sigh of relief when he realized the table was practically empty, merely one less thing he had to worry about. Giving a wave goodbye to the Gryffindors still eating, he made his way back to the Tower to retrieve his books.

* * *

Draco straightened his tie and stared at his reflection. He sighed as he gave a final tug on a sleeve of the black robe he wore, moving away from the pristine image reflected. Gathering his books, he glided towards the door and paused, eyes closing as he fought the overwhelming urge to throw something. His head ached and his eyes burned from lack of sleep. He had spent half the night pacing and the other half staring into the dark canopy above his bed, the Tiger rumbling through his mind. 

"Draco?" The light voice carried through the thick wood of the door, the sound of someone knocking softly following. He ran a hand across his face before tugging the door open and stepping into the dorm hall, plastering a smile onto his face. The smiles on his friend's faces fell away as they looked at him, the lack of sleep obvious.

"You look like hell." Blaise said quietly, glancing down the hall before stepping closer to Draco and lowering his voice to a whisper. "Did you sleep at all or were you up all night?" Draco shook his head and grinned at the concern on Blaise's face, pushing between the two and continuing his path down the hall. He ignored the angry growl that rippled from Blaise and prowled lazily down the stairs, handing his book bag off to one of his lackeys. Glancing around the common room, his pale eyes halted at the clock perched above the mantle. Twenty minutes until class started.

"Have the schedules arrived yet?" He asked Pansy as he sat gracefully on the arm of a chair, narrowing his eyes at the coos of delight emitted from several younger witches. Pansy gave an affirmative nod before handing Draco the parchment she had been holding. "History of Magic?"

"Unfortunately neither of us have that class with you. They seemed to have changed the scheduling process slightly, it's probably for the best; everyone usually sleeps in that class anyway." Blaise said, comparing his schedule to Draco's over the other wizards shoulder.

Draco snorted softly, crumpling the parchment into a ball and pitching it at Goyle. The lumbering wizard caught it neatly and tucked it into the Draco's bag. "Let's go get a quick breakfast." He muttered, pulling himself to his feet and leading the sixth year's towards the door, not bothering to glance back as his merry little party burst into excited conversation and several younger students fell in.

* * *

Harry groaned as the staircase he was climbing shifted suddenly, changing its direction without warning. He stared back at the empty doorway that would have taken him down the hall towards the History of Magic classroom, rolling his eyes at his bad luck before continuing his climb. Pausing in the hall, his eyes searched for a something he recognized. Clutching his books to his chest, he walked slowly down the hall, jerking around when the staircase began to move again. 

"Just my luck." He grumbled with narrowed eyes, in the distance a bell began to clang, warning all students they were now late for class. Swearing softly, he picked up speed and went skittering around a corner only to freeze at the sight before him.

"Get lost on the way to class Potter?" Draco purred, stopping in the center of the hall. His blue eyes twinkling dangerously as they took in the sight of Harry standing alone. Harry held his position, the Stag screaming at him to run. The incident from the previous day ran through his mind. As if Draco had read his thoughts, he smiled and took a gliding predatory step forward, his boots soundless on the stone floor. Harry responded by taking retreating a step, eyes ever watchful as he tried to guess the blondes intentions. Draco grinned, flashing canines that seemed to have lengthened. Harry's Stag roared to the surface, mentally dropping its head and swinging the rack of antlers in a visual threat.

For one moment both wizards remained frozen, the low murmur of distant voices echoing up and down empty halls. Sliding his foot back, Harry took a quick peek over his shoulder before taking another shuffling step. A low rumble echoed down the hall forcing Harry to raise his eyes and stare into the empty pools of ice focused intently on him. Fear crept up his spine and his mind emptied of all sane thought, the only thing screaming around inside his head was the incessant bellowing of the Stag.

Whirling around, he sprinted down the hall, the pounding of boots loud in his sensitive ears. His heart beat frantically as he dropped his books and dove around a corner, slowing when the sound of footfalls vanished. Assuming Draco had given up the chase, he slowed and looked over his shoulder, glimpsing a flash of white before pain shot up his thigh.

Stumbling forward, he overbalanced and attempted to roll over, hands striking out before him in a defensive movement. His fingers buried themselves into soft fur and his eyes closed as warm puffs of air were exhaled into his face. Time slowed as he opened his eyes and gazed deeply into the gleaming eyes of a white tiger. The massive cats jaws lowered and brushed against his throat, the sand paper tongue laving along the soft skin of his throat.

Harry croaked out a yelp, hands pinned between the tiger's chest and his school uniform. The brush of fangs had him struggling, wriggling under the cat's containing weight. Blue eyes shone with pleasure as the tongue repeated it's slow swipe before applying a quick nip to the pale flesh, obviously enjoying the feel of prey trapped beneath it. Harry felt the Stag in him go still, the fear paralyzing. A deep throbbing filled the air, and the quiet jingle of metal on metal was audible. Snarling, the tiger leapt off him and trotted down the hall, pausing at an intersecting corridor. Harry reached up and ran a hand along his throat, feeling the warmth of blood and drool from the cat's mouth.

Rolling over, he laid on his stomach as he recovered his breath, emerald eyes meeting the haunted blue orbs of the tiger. With an unhappy huff and a lash of its tail, the tiger slunk into the shadows and disappeared. Harry gave a deep sobbing sigh, eyes drifting closed as he came back to his senses. The Stag grunted and shook his antlers, eyes rolling as he pranced in agitation. Harry climbed to his feet and stumbled down the hall, bending down to collect his books before setting a course straight to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

Draco slammed the door to his chambers closed and sank down with his back to the cold wood. Squeezing his eyes closed, he wiped his face with the back of his hand. The silence of the Slytherin dorms was soothing as he sat there, drawing in slow breaths in an effort to calm himself. He had just attacked and almost killed the Boy-Who-Lived. The thought had him gagging and stumbling to his feet, rushing for the connecting bathroom. Falling to his knees, he dry heaved into the toilet. 

Resting his head against the cold porcelain, he reached over and turned on the tap to the bathtub, the loud thunder of running water calming him. A knock on the door had him wiping his face on the sleeve of his black robe before standing and moving shakily to the door. Instead of pulling the door open he flipped the lock, hearing the snort of annoyance from the individual on the other side of the door.

"Draco? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Blaise asked, cranking on the handle of the door while pounding on the heavy wood. Draco sat on the edge of the white tub, hands cradling his head. He knew Blaise wouldn't enter unless he was invited but he needed to know what had happened. Today's occurrence would affect all of them especially if Potter went running to Professor Dumbledore.

"I'm skipping!" He hissed at the door, turning around and dipping a hand into the warm water, sighing as the feeling began to relax him.

"It's the first day Draco, are you attempting some sort of record?" Blaise called loudly, causing Draco to roll his eyes. The sound of running water did nothing to deafen him nor did it help that Blaise had pressed himself against the wood and was attempting to yell through the keyhole.

"Go away Blaise! We'll talk about this later." Draco grumbled, beginning to shed his clothes as he listened to the unhappy growl that pierced the wood. Dipping a toe into the water, he groaned and moved to stand fully in the simmering water. Sinking slowly beneath the surface, he set to washing the blood from his skin and thoughts of death from his mind.

* * *

Harry slammed the Gryffindor portal closed and fell back against it, ignoring the questioning looks pasted on several faces. Tugging the collar of his shirt up, he hugged his books to his chest and strode towards the stairs. He was still breathing deeply from his run and the blood had begun to dry on his skin. His fingers twitched as the temptation to scratch the dried blood raced through his mind. Biting his lip, he took the stairs two at a time and powered into the sixth year dorm, tossing his books onto his bed and flinging the window open. 

Leaning out the window, he sucked in deep breaths, eyes drifting closed as the warm wind caressed his face. The sound of the door opening several minutes later had him tilting his head, the knowledge that he was safe the only thing that kept him sitting quietly before the window.

"Hey Harry? Skipping already, man that's gotta be a record or something." Dean said cheerfully, as he stopped at the end of his bed and flipped his trunk open. Rifling around inside it, he gave a happy little yell and waved his textbook in the air.

"Or something." Harry agreed mournfully, head buried in his arms. He heard the door close but was aware of Dean's presence in the room. Opening his eyes, he sat up and spun so he was sitting sideways in his chair, trying to meet the gaze of the other wizard.

"Are you okay Harry? You want me to get Hermione or McGonagall?" Dean asked, shifting his book back and forth between hands.

"I'm fine Dean, but if you see Ron could you tell him I need to talk to him immediately." Harry whispered, pressing a hand against his throat. Dean nodded and gave a wave before opening the door and slipping out of the room, shutting the door softly. Rising he moved to his own trunk and dug around inside, finally finding the small mirror he kept there. Gazing at his throat, he winced and ran his fingers against the tender skin. Bruises were already beginning to show around the small puncture marks.

"Just my luck." He murmured to the empty room, grabbing his towel and pajamas from where he had dropped them that morning. Plodding to the bathroom, he silently agreed to himself that he would now sleep in on Mondays and get up early on Tuesday as penance. Smiling at his train of thought, he continued on his path, thoughts consumed by the fact that Draco Malfoy was an animagi. A dangerous animagi to be exact.

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope that get's this story rolling a little faster. Anyway, as usual I'll ask for some name suggestions; heaven knows what I'd end up calling them if it wasn't for the awesome names you guys come up with. I've already got names for three of them but haven't decided whether or not I'll actually use those names. So here they are, suggest what you will: 

Harry - Black Stag  
Draco - White Tiger  
Ron - Red Wolf (tentatively named Rousse/Red Ale)  
Blaise - White Wolf (tentatively named Frost)  
Pansy - Mink  
Hermione - Brown Fox (tentatively named Ginger)


	5. Warring Wolves

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling

A/N: My apologies for not posting last night but it is the Civic Holiday in Canada (Have a great Civic Weekend everyone!) and I got invited to a party when I was in the middle of formatting this…I mean a night on the main strip of Wasaga on a long weekend isn't something I can miss. Sorry.

**

* * *

Chapter 4 - Warring Wolves**

Draco stared dismally at the plate of food sitting before him. His fork had left grooves through the scrambled eggs and the porridge was far too runny for his taste. He blinked his eyes tiredly before glancing at the individuals sitting to either side of him, both looking anxious and worried at the same time, their eyes focused on him.

"What happened Draco?" Pansy hissed softly as she carefully spread jam across a thick slice of toast. He sighed before raising a hand and sliding fingers through his hair, trying to figure out how he could tell his friends he dreamed of emerald eyes and flesh that tasted of chocolate covered strawberries.

"Yeah Draco," Blaise muttered around a mouthful of bacon, eyes narrowed on the blond. "It's not like you to skip class. Hell, everyone goes to class on the first day, it's the easiest day of the entire semester." Draco snorted and rolled his eyes at Blaise's logic.

"I got distracted on my way to class." He replied, telling the truth yet going nowhere near what had really happened. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the pair exchange a look behind his back.

The sudden increase in noise from the opposite side of the Great Hall had everyone at Slytherin table quieting and turning to look at the Gryffindors. As always, the Lions were in an uproar over something. His icy eyes narrowed as Dean and Seamus walked around the table to stand next to Harry, slapping him on the back as they exclaimed over something the dark haired wizard had done.

"Draco!"

He tried to turn his head but felt the Tiger come growling to the surface. Internally the massive cat flashed fangs and hissed, a jealous rage creeping up its spine as it watched the two wizards playfully trying to haul Harry to his feet. A jab of pain had Draco sucking in a breath and jerking his head to glare at Pansy. Raising an eyebrow in silent warning, she loosed his injured hand and handed him a napkin, watching as he dabbed at the small bloody half moons she'd left in the back of his hand.

"Care to explain what that was about?" She muttered, elbows planted on the table as she lifted a cup of hot tea to her mouth. Draco winced but was unable to stop his eyes from drifting back towards the Gryffindor table. The only sound now rising from the table was the occasional scrape of silverware. An elbow in his side had his eyes narrowing and a quiet growl trickling from his mouth as he watched Harry toss a quick look at the Head Table. His eyes followed the movement and he found himself looking at his Godfather, who was in return glaring at the Gryffindor table.

"Draco?" Blaise growled, his name was quiet but the warning in the sound was undisguised. If he didn't pay attention to his friends he might end up under a very mad wolf.

"Yes, Blaise?" He replied, prying his gaze away from the Lion's and picking up the cup of tea placed next to his elbow. The liquid was lukewarm and he curled his lip in distaste before pushing the cup away and motioning for Pansy to pour him another.

"Are you planning on telling us what distracted you or should we assume you saw a bright little birdie and couldn't resist the temptation?" Blaise drawled, pushing the steaming teapot closer to Pansy. Draco smirked at Blaise's words; a bright little bird indeed. More like a dark little raven who was walking alone down a hall marked as out of bounds.

"I highly doubt you'd believe it if I said I was actually chasing a bird so let's just say I stopped to chat with a fellow cat." Draco murmured, claiming his fresh cup of tea and taking a grateful sip, eyes drifting closed in pleasure. The loud scratch of metal on metal had him sliding one eye open and peering at Blaise who was holding a fork in one hand and steadying an empty plate in the other. "What?"

"You're supposed to be avoiding the Gryffindors Draco! Any little thing seems to be setting your animagus off and all we need is you running into another student and attacking them. What were you thinking?" Pansy snapped, setting her cup down with a bang and ignoring the liquid that sloshed over the edge. Draco was thinking that he'd never seen the Gryffindor run so fast in his entire life. The Tiger was thinking his flesh tasted of chocolate and his blood of strawberries and running into the Gryffindor again would mean another little taste of heaven.

"I wasn't thinking, the Tiger was thinking and at that moment Potter was prey. It wasn't my fault...he ran." Draco said quietly, eyes darting towards the Gryffindor table which was emptying slowly as the students headed off to class. His eyes locked with a pair of dancing emeralds before darting back Pansy. "I promise in the future I'll try and avoid starting anything I can't finish without bringing the Tiger to the fore."

Pansy and Blaise exchanged another long look before sighing and nodding in agreement. Draco drained the rest of his tea from the cup and rose smoothly, stepping over the bench and straightening his robes carefully. He withdrew a pocket watch from the recesses of his pocket and checked the time before nodding his head. "It's time for class. We have double Potions with Severus and the Gryffindorks, let's be on our way." Draco muttered, his eyes once again drifting towards the now empty Gryffindor table. The Tiger snarled unhappily and began to pace, tail lashing as he stalked back and forth. Rolling his eyes at his counterpart's actions, Draco led the way from the Great Hall.

* * *

Harry shifted in his seat and raised a hand to his throat, fingers brushing the slowly mending skin. In a strategical move to avoid confrontation with Hermione and Ron, he had turned the collar of his shirt up to hide the gashes. He drew a deep breath in as several Slytheirns filed past the desk he sat at and took their seats on the opposite side of the room. A thought tugged at his mind and he couldn't help but follow it. If the Gryffindors sat on the right side of the room and the Slytherins on the left, when they had class with a different house we're they kicking them out of their normal seats? It was pretty much a unanimous decision to remain seated with your own House, there was no intermingling and rarely was there actual intellectual speaking between the Houses.

"Harry?" Jerking his head and quickly suppressing the urge to grab his injured throat, he turned and looked at Hermione who was seated next to him. Already her books and parchment were open on the table, prepared as always for whatever Snape threw at them.

"Yes, Hermione?" He asked, reaching under the desk to grab his book bag. He heard her sigh, before patting him lightly on the arm and returning to her studies, obviously whatever she wanted was no longer of any importance. Glancing at Ron, he rolled his eyes before leaning closer to stare at the picture the red head was drawing. "Are those supposed to be Slytherins?"

"Yep, pretty nice, eh?" Ron muttered, quill still moving over the parchment before him. Harry grinned and opened his mouth but froze when a familiar scent slammed into him. It was the musk of fur and forest, the same smell that clung to his skin after being in his animagus form.

His Stag grunted unhappily and took a halting step forward, one hoof striking the ground in agitation. Harry searched his mind for the reason behind his animagus' actions but found only the overwhelming urge to protect Hermione and Ron.

"Are you okay?"

Harry shook his head and looked at Ron who had frozen with his quill above the sketched image, a small drop of ink sliding off the tip and erasing the face of one of the stick figures. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about asking Dean if I could borrow his History of Magic notes from yesterday." Ron nodded and turned back to his work but was halted when the door flew open at the back of the class.

The snap of dark robes and the thump of feet, heralded the arrival of Professor Snape. His dark eyes were cold as they searched the room, the professors whole body stilling as the door at the back of the class creaked open again. Draco, Pansy, and Blaise sauntered into the room like they owned it, moving quietly to their seats and making themselves comfortable before directing their attention to Snape.

"Today, we will be brewing a potion called Dragon's Fire. It is elemental in assisting dragon tamers in calming dragons for shipping or training purposes. Does anyone know what the base ingredient for this potion is?" Snape growled, tapping his wand against his index finger as he searched the room, a smirk riding his face as his eyes fell on Harry. "Mister Potter, any guesses or words of wisdom?"

Harry gulped and shook his head numbly, fingers clamped around his quill in an effort to hide the urge to fiddle. He ignored the elbow shoved into his side and Hermione's soft whisper, preferring to take the dive rather then having house points removed. Snape curled his lip before tearing his gaze away from Harry and resuming his lesson. Harry remained in a state of shock and shame for several minutes before tuning back into Snape's voice, ears picking up the words all students dreaded hearing while in Potions.

"Rather then let you choose your partner, I have taken it upon myself to put you into pairs. Listen closely because I don't want any confusion." Harry closed his eyes and dropped his head to the desk, he couldn't be paired with Draco. The blonde would kill him or he'd end up hitting him when the Stag decided he was in danger. "Parkinson and Weasley, Zabini and Granger, Potter and Knott, Malfoy and Thomas." Harry sighed in relief before glancing at Ron. His friend had a horrified look on his face and appeared to be trying to talk himself into gathering his books and changing desks.

Harry leaned backwards and looked at the steaming potion sitting before him. Knott was carefully stirring the brew, while Harry was scribbling down their observations. Pausing, he tipped his head and frowned. Reaching into his mind, he found the Stag and called it lightly to the surface, surprised when the massive animal flicked its ears and cautiously moved forward. With stronger senses, he was better able to pick up the sounds and scents of the classroom.

A low rumble barely audible had his eyes widening as he kicked the back of Ron's chair lightly. The sound was echoed by a deeper more bass growl, this one coming from slightly to the right. His eyes flicked to the desk next to Ron's and he caught Hermione's eye, surprised to see she had frozen with the stirring rod above the orange brew. Sliding his chair back, he looked across from him and stilled, eyes meeting blue orbs before they were shuttered and turned away. A movement had him jerking his head and watching Blaise rise slowly, body tense as he glared at Ron.

The explosion seemed to occur suddenly, chairs scraping and potions flying as Ron lunged across the aisle, hands reaching for the throat of Blaise Zabini. The Stag screamed in warning, throwing his head back and shaking his antlers at the sky. Harry in turn, tried to leap out of the way as the potion on the desk in front of him toppled over. Pandemonium broke out as students tried to get out of the way and others jumped into the fray.

Harry caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair and the quick moving form of Draco as he slid silently into the fight. For a moment, Harry thought he glimpsed a flash of thick red fur against a fluffy white coat. The musk of fur and blood was strong in the room, mingling with the smell of the spilled Dragon's Fire. Jumping to Ron's side, he wrapped a hand around the other wizards arm and tried to tug him away from Blaise, surprised to see Draco doing the same thing on the other side of the small fight. Slitted blue orbs met rolling emeralds as both fought the instinctive urge of fight and flight.

It was with some relief that Snape intervened, his hands catching the collars of the fighting boys and dragging them free of each other. With a rough shake, he tossed them in different directions and planted his hands on his hips, eyes narrowed mercilessly.

"Detention! Two weeks with me starting tomorrow night at eight, be prompt or I'll double it." The Potions Master growled before whirling around, cloak billowing behind him as he waved his wand and began to clean the mess made by the skirmish.

"Come on Ron, I'll take you to the Hospital wing." Hermione whispered, reaching down and wrapping a hand around Ron's upper arm, carefully pulling him to his feet while digging through a pocket for a handkerchief. "Harry, will you get our stuff?"

"Sure." Harry responded, still stunned at the turn of events, his brain running on automatic as he began to gather his stuff. The room emptied around him as he jammed papers, and quills into their proper places, collecting stuff from off the floor that had been knocked aside in the heat of the fight. He froze when a pair of shining black boots appeared under his nose, one toe tapping as his eyes traveled upwards slowly.

"Potter," Malfoy drawled smoothly, his arms loaded with the books and bags belonging to Blaise and Pansy.

"Malfoy." Harry responded cooly, standing and straightening his robes as he stared at the blonde before him. Uneasy silence fell between them as they both shifted, waiting for the other to say something.

"Keep your friends away from mine Scarhead." Draco whispered, stepping into Harry and rumbling softly in his throat, the low growl heard only by the black haired wizard. Instead of retreating, Harry took a small step forward, pressing closer to Draco, noses practically touching.

"My friends and I have as much right to be here as you do, Malfoy." Harry replied, his tone deeper then it should have been. In his mind, he watched the Stag shake his antlers in threat before turning around and bounding away, pausing once to snort and lay his ears close to his head. Harry agreed with the Stags strategy; strike and run before being wounded. "Keep your friends away from mine."

"Lame, Potter, terribly lame." Draco sneered, as Harry turned and headed for the door. Stopping just outside the door, Harry spun around slowly and withdrew his wand, brandishing it in the general direction of Draco.

"That's the only warning I'll give you Malfoy." Harry said before nodding his head and continuing on his way, hearing the snort of disbelief from the blonde.

* * *

Hermione had spent the last several hours in a corner of the library, dinner had come and gone and still she searched the large section on the Animagus transformation. Her mind had become muddled with terms and theories, each slightly more stressing then the one before. All she gleamed was that when ones animagus form was constantly communicating with the witch or wizard, it created a stronger bond between the pair.

The individual would be able to call on their form faster but would have to put up with small side affects such as the behaviorism of the animal. Ron's aggression had risen from his alpha wolf of course, the need to defend and protect his territory and pack. Sighing, she closed the dusty tome and gathered her stuff, retrieving the one book she had decided to check out before leaving the library. Her mind was already planning the dressing down she was going to give her friends when she returned to Gryffindor House.

Hermione slammed the portal closed and glowered at the students gathered in the Gryffindor Common Room. Several exclamations broke out about the time and appointments they were late for as the other students quickly cleared the room not wanting to be caught in the crossfire of the argument that was brewing.

"I told the pair of you to be careful. I remember clearly telling the pair of you what you should and should not do. What were you thinking?" Hermione began, her voice slowly rising as she got into the rant, one hand waving for emphasis as the other was planted firmly on her hip.

"Hermione-" Ron started, immediately snapping his mouth shut as the young witches eyes locked onto him, eyebrow slowly arching in warning.

"Yes, Ron? Perhaps you would like to try and make some sad sorry excuse for your actions. We were in class Ron. Blaise couldn't have done anything without being seen by the rest of Gryffindor. Do you realize how close you were to changing?" She screeched shrilly, the sound causing both boys to wince and raise their hands to their ears.

"It wasn't really his fault, Zabini was just as much at fault." Harry said softly, cowering back against the cushions of the chair he was perched on as Hermione's eyes fastened on him. One toe began to tap in warning.

"I don't want excuses I want promises. What happened in Potions is never too happen again, is that understood?" Hermione stated, glancing back and forth between the two as they looked at each other before nodding in agreement. "Excellent. I'd say it's time for bed then."

* * *

Harry and Ron watched as she glided towards the stairs and left them sitting there, both trying to figure out what they should be doing.

"I think she's finally lost it." Ron whispered, craning his neck so he could track her up the stairs. Harry nodded his head in agreement, wincing again when the movement put pressure on his neck. Rising from his place on the red couch, he picked up his bag and looked down at Ron. The red head was glaring into the fire with a wrathful look on his face.

"Leave it alone, Ron." Harry warned, rebuking his friend for the thoughts racing behind his eyes.

"Harry-"

"I like a good duel as much as you do but the Slytherins don't play fair and I'd rather not tempt fate. Besides, there'll be other fights and arguments, let's just be glad you didn't end up transforming. Things could have gotten really messy if you'd tried to bite him. You'd of had everyone wondering." Harry smirked with a completely straight face, jerking backwards as Ron snorted and swung playfully at him. The pair play fought for a minute before turning and dashing towards the stairs in a silent challenge to see who reached their dorm first.

* * *

A/N: Well, another chapter done. I thank everyone who took the time to review and give me some ideas for names. Unfortunately not everyone liked the name I had chosen for Ron and that's okay cause I didn't either but that means he's currently nameless. Also, one of our favourite wizard's is still nameless, so let's try this again:

Harry- Nomad? Odin? (stag)  
Draco - Nomad? Snow? Beau? (tiger)  
Hermione - Ginger (fox)  
Pansy - Gem (mink)  
Ron - Sparky? Ember? Apollo? (wolf)  
Blaise - Frost (wolf)

Manny2003 – Thank-you for Pansy's name and I'm glad you're liking this story.  
BloodyMarry – Wow, I can't say I didn't walk away from your review knowing nothing. Usually I love the mythology names but I'm trying to keep them English, though I doubt that will happen. Awesome suggestions though, and we'll definitely see Bambi in there somewhere.  
Lady Silverhawk – lol, that's okay, I made her one before I knew what it was then I went and Googled it. Like a big ferret but kind of uglier, fitting I believe.  
fourth-face-of-the-goddess – You might be on too something there…  
websurffer – lol, sleep deprivation gets us all at some point….like right now for me.


	6. Battle of the Library

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

A/N: The thing about names...there are so many of them! It's always hard to choose a name for a character because so many people are going to have to be able to picture that character with that name. I've learned that you can't possibly please everyone and have to go with the majority. Though I thank everyone for their lovely contributions, I've chosen the names that I believe best suit the animagus forms. Thanks to everyone and I hope I've not managed to offend anyone by choosing the names I did.

**

* * *

Chapter 5 - Battle for the Library **

Harry raced up the stairs into the sixth year dorm and tossed his books onto the bed, ignoring the crack as one of the books slid over the edge and landed on the floor. Opening his trunk, he dug through its contents as he searched for his Quidditch robes, glancing up as Dean thumped into the room. Grunting a greeting, Dean dropped his books on his desk before flipping open his trunk and rifling around inside.

"I can't believe Dumbledore is allowing a preseason game." Harry called across the room, standing and shaking out the mussed and dirt stained robes.

"Neither can I. Though I'm pretty sure I saw Malfoy smirk when Dumbledore made the announcement." Dean returned, slamming the wooden lid down and scratching his head as he glanced around the room, with a raised eyebrow he dropped to his knees and peered beneath his bed.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he had something to do with it. It'll be more of a scramble then anything else...no one's had anytime to organize this seasons teams." Harry said, watching a grinning Dean emerge triumphantly from under his bed, brightly coloured robes clenched in a fist.

"Oh well, I imagine it'll be an interesting game as long as we can get a good team together." Dean mumbled with a shrug of his shoulders, dropping to a knee so he could withdraw his broom from its place under the bed. Silence filled the room as both wizards organized themselves, carefully checking their brooms over with practiced eyes.

"Too bad about Ron though." Dean grunted, using his pajama bottoms to wipe the handle of his broom to a gleaming finish.

Running a loving hand along his broom, Harry snorted and shook his head in disbelief. "Snape has it in for us as always. I suppose we should feel a little better over the fact that Zabini has detention too."

"Yeah, but me and you both know how that will go. Ron will end up doing the work and Zabini will sit there working on his nails or something." Muttered Dean, placing his broom gently on his bed before chewing on his lip in contemplation as he stared at the robes lying next to it. "Do you think these are too dirty to play in?"

"They're no worse then mine. I think we can safely assume that Ron will return with more detention then he originally had. Second day of the year and we're already losing house points; McGonagall is not going to be impressed." Harry said thoughtfully, shaking out his robes before sighing mournfully and poking a finger through a large rip across the back. "I'm going to go and find Hermione, I want to see if she can fix this hole."

Dean was in the middle of pulling his Quidditch jersey over his head and mumbled something that had Harry shaking his head and scooping up the ripped shirt. Jogging down the stairs, he paused at the base of the stairs leading into the girl's dorm and called Hermione's name, fingers toying with the engraved railing leading up the shadowed stairs. Rolling his eyes when she failed to appear, he bellowed her name again and blushed when a seventh year witch yelled back. Grumbling unhappily, he wove his fingers through his messy hair and headed for the portal, it seemed Hermione was in the library.

XxXxX

Harry paused upon entering the large room, his eyes ghosting over the shelves loaded with books and the handful of students sitting at the tables arranged in one of the spaces. Miss Pince glanced up at his arrival and placed a finger to her lips in warning, frowning when the door slammed closed behind him. Holding his hands up in surrender, he tiptoed between a pair of bookshelves, one hand absently trailing across their spines. He froze when he reached the end, eyes meeting suspicious blue orbs that narrowed when he stepped from the shadows. Internally, the Stag grunted before shaking his antlers and pawing the earth, nervous about continuing into the open.

"Harry!"

His name was hissed softly, jerking his attention from the table of Slytherins to where Hermione sat alone. Glancing over his shoulder, he eyed Malfoy for a long moment before striding to where the Gryffindor witch sat among a pile of open books, her fingers stained with ink.

"Hermione, can you fix this for me?" Harry asked, placing the torn shirt atop her pile of books and pulling a chair out. Sitting down, his eyes traveled lazily around the room, taking in the shelves packed with books and the variety of lamps placed haphazardly throughout the area.

Hermione made a soft humming noise as she examined the ripped jersey, turning her nose up at a particularly nasty stain on the left elbow. "Sure Harry, I'll also give it a quick clean."

"Thanks Hermione." Relieved, Harry sat back and tugged one of the large tomes on the table towards him, raising an eyebrow when he read the title. "'In the Company of an Animagus'. What exactly are you researching Hermione?"

"Not now Harry." Hermione murmured as she waved her wand over the tear, watching as small threads began to carefully weave through the shredded edges of the rip. The next flick of her wand had the dirt and grime vanishing from the material, leaving it a bright red trimmed with gold. "I'll tell you later, when we're in a more private location." Her eyes traveled over his shoulder and he knew she was watching the Slytherins. It was the sudden narrowing of Hermione's eyes that had Harry freezing in his seat.

"I need that book mudblood." The feminine voice was like ice, emotionless yet forewarning of the violence that would ensue should her wish be dismissed. A long fingered hand with nails painted emerald green splayed itself across the book resting before Hermione. Harry turned slowly and peered up into the pale face of Pansy Parkinson.

"I'm using it, you'll have to wait your turn." Hermione muttered, hands latching onto the book and tugging it from beneath the other witches fingers. Harry's eyes widened as Pansy's hand locked around the other half of the book, leaving both witches clutching one end of the tome and glaring at the other. Harry sucked in a deep breath as Hermione's eyes narrowed and she tugged gently on the book. It was with little thought that he slid from his chair and scooted out of the way, the female Slytherin had obviously never seen an enraged Hermione.

* * *

Draco leaned back in his chair with a sigh, reaching up and loosening his tie with a practiced hand. His eyes rested on Harry as the dark haired wizard backed slowly away from the arguing witches. He snorted as his Tiger growled a soft greeting at Harry, the animal obviously eager to tangle with the other wizard again. He straightened the sleeve of his robe, before glancing at Pansy, raising an eyebrow at the expression on her face. 

"I want it. Now." Pansy growled softly, jerking hard on the book and narrowing her eyes as Hermione tightened her grip. Draco shuffled his papers in agitation, rereading the question he had just completed before the argument broke out. A low thump had him looking up and snorting as Pansy yanked on the mudblood's book. He had no idea why Pansy wanted the book but she was being pretty insistent.

"I'm using it." Granger hissed, planting her feet and pulling hard on the book. Draco bit his lip as he watched the witches pull on the ragged text. It was with a low rip that the book came apart, leaving Granger and Pansy both clutching half. Their startled expressions had him chuckling softly, glancing at Harry who had a hand pressed over his mouth to hold in his laughter.

Emerald eyes danced merrily, meeting his own blue eyes without fear or anger. Draco snorted softly, Gryffindors were stupidly fearless. They considered everyone friends until they were stabbed in the back. The Tiger rumbled angrily at this thought, tail lashing as the massive cat began to pace. Draco frowned, pushing the Tiger down with a shake of his head.

"Look what you did you stupid witch!" Pansy hissed, staring down at the part of the tome she held, eyes narrowing dangerously. Growling under her breath, she dropped her part of the book on the table before Granger, whirling around and marching towards him. Draco winced at the thump and crack, carding a hand through his hair as he watched Pansy turn on her heel slowly.

"You wanted it so bad, you can have it!" Granger yelled, reaching for the other half of the book resting on the table. Pansy swooped down and scooped up the shredded book from where it lay on the floor, smirking as she tapped her hand on it lightly.

"What have you done to that book?"

The back tables quieted, as everyone turned to look at the Librarian. Draco pushed back his sleeves and crossed his arms, waiting for the next act in the Pansy show. Dropping the book, Pansy pointed a finger in Granger's direction, face full of accusation. "She did it! She ripped my book!"

"Miss Granger?" The librarian asked softly, eyed widened in shock. Draco watched as Granger shook her head in denial, mouth opening and closing as she sought to come up with an excuse.

"I'm afraid I can't allow such treatment of the reading material, Miss Granger; ten points from Gryffindor and a I'm also removing your library privileges for the next two weeks." Draco thought the Gryffindor witch was going to burst into tears. Pansy smirked and glanced at him with a look of glee, eyes shining with pride over her win.

"Miss Parkinson, your punishment shall be the same as Miss Granger's. Please leave the library immediately, both of you." Madam Pince collected the damaged book and tapped one foot as she waited for the girls to gather their books. Groaning at the eviction, Draco gathered his books carefully and trailed after the angry Pansy, glancing over his shoulder at Harry. The dark haired wizard had one hand resting on his friend's shoulder and was speaking quietly with the librarian, obviously trying to curry some favour for Granger. Shouldering his bag, he glided through the doors and paused at the sight of an enraged Pansy, the witch was stomping and growling under her breath.

"Why didn't you say something? She revoked my library privileges!" The Slytherin stormed, accepting her bag from Draco.

Draco in turn, raised an eyebrow and began walking down the hall, knowing Pansy would calm down in a minute. "Well?"

"Hmph, like I should tell you. All that yelling and arguing, and I broke a nail to boot. All to find out what Granger is reading. Next time you're on your own Draco Malfoy." Pansy muttered, raising a hand to expect her broken nail. The thought that she'd just got them done obviously very important to her. "She was reading a book on identifying animagi in their human form. I think she might be on to us, or rather you."

Draco nodded in agreement, slowing down as he headed down the stairs into the dungeons. Ignoring the thought that Harry knew about him, he smirked as he recalled the fight in the library, shaking his head as he wondered what Pansy would do to keep him from telling Blaise about her little tussle with the Gryffindor witch.

* * *

Ron stood before a large washtub, pink rubber gloves pulled past his elbows as he scrubbed a dirty cauldron. His eyes narrowed as he looked over his shoulder at Blaise. Curling his lip, he shook his head and emptied the large cauldron, glaring at the thick mixture coating the inside. 

"Having fun yet Weasel?" Blaise called softly, the sound of his voice making Ron grit his teeth and clench his hands around the cauldron.

"It'd be a lot more fun if you were helping." Ron growled, turning slowly and leaning on his elbows, eyes resting on the blue gloves sitting on the table next to the Slytherin. He wasn't really surprised that the other wizard was doing nothing because that was simply what the Slytherins did; ff they could get away with it that was.

"I don't know Weasel. I'd really hate to ruin your fun, those gloves go with your robes so well." Blaise mocked, rolling his eyes as he returned to filing his nails, ignoring the quiet growl that reached his ears.

"Well if you weren't planning on using yours you could have said so." Ron snarled, hands fisting as he pushed down his wolf, acknowledging the animal's willingness to defend his pride with a silent thanks. He shifted and turned back to the tub full of bubbles, glancing down at the last cauldron resting on the shelf. With a relieved sigh, he hauled the heavy metal up and dropped it into the tub, narrowing his eyes as drops of water splattered his face. Growling unhappily, he froze when the door opened and another Slytherin wandered in.

"Can I help you?" Blaise said quietly, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he glanced at his fellow Slytherin. The room froze as the student who had wandered in drew his wand and dangled it in open threat, eyes glittering with amusement. The older Slytherin mumbled something intelligible, his eyes glued on Ron.

Ron felt the penetrating gaze, and turned slowly, hackles rising as he took in the calculating gaze of the older Slytherin. A growl of warning crept from his throat causing the two wizards too stiffen. His wolf snapped sharp fangs in the direction of the pair, a rather mild warning compared with what was too come should they try and attack him. He raised an eyebrow when Blaise flashed his teeth in threat, however the gesture was pointed at the encroaching Slytherin instead of Ron.

"I suggest you leave!" Blaise snarled unhappily, moving forwards and grabbing the lapels of the older students robes. The whispered conversation had Ron shifting uncomfortably, raising an eyebrow when the older student fled the room. "Now where were we?"

Ron stood at the sink, mouth hanging open in shock as he watched the Slytherin calmly take his seat atop a desk. "You were going to wash the last cauldron?" He suggested hopefully.

"No, I don't think that was it." Blaise muttered thoughtfully, shaking his head as he withdrew his nail file from an inside pocket. Ron scrubbed the last cauldron with little thought except for his freedom. Heaving a sigh of relief, he tossed his gloves down and picked up the robe he had shed earlier in his detention. "Oh well, I'm sure I'll think of it later. Until then, have a good night Weasel."

Ron paused in the door way but shook his head and continued on his way, eager to be back upstairs in the Gryffindor tower, away from all the Slytherins and their strange temperaments. Pulling his robe on, he hurried through the halls, sighing happily when he reached the main floor and could see the sliver of moon through the windows. Safety was almost within his grasp.

* * *

Harry paced back and forth before the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room, his hands held behind his back. He glanced at the solemn witch sitting on an overstuffed couch, her hands clenched in her lap as she stared absently into the flames. 

"You do know what this means, don't you Hermione?" Harry asked softly, his ears picking up the whisper of voices from upstairs. He paused in his pacing, head tipped as he waited for her response.

"I can't go into the library for two weeks," Hermione whispered, eyes shining with unshed tears. Harry snorted at her answer and rolled his eyes, only Hermione would be worried about something like that.

"Yes, but it also means you have to return my invisibility cloak to me. It wouldn't be fair to let you use it to sneak into the library when you took it from Ron and I for that reason." Harry stated, loosening his tie before pulling it over his head. The creak of the portrait opening had both Gryffindors turning and looking, surprised to see Ron step into the Common Room.

"Harry! You'll never believe what just happened! I was serving-" Ron exclaimed, pausing in mid sentence when Hermione launched herself at him, arms locking around his waist. With a shrill sob, the witch broke into tears as she cried out her story to Ron, unaware of the look passing between the two wizards.

"You fought with Pansy and got your library privileges revoked? That's a first. I suppose you better give Harry his cloak back, you know, remove the temptation of sneaking into the library after hours." Ron said thoughtfully, patting Hermione on the back and winking at Harry.

"How can you joke at a time like this?" Hermione wailed, pulling herself free of his arms and dashing up the stairs into the girl's dorms. Harry sighed and collapsed into one of the chairs before the fire, watching as Ron scratched his head and called Hermione's name in question. A large ball of fabric came flying down the stairs, smacking Ron in the face before dropping into his arms.

"Here's your cloak, Harry." He mumbled, handing the rumpled invisibility cloak to Harry, who nodded his thanks before carefully folding the material. "I suppose I'm going to have to make this up to her tomorrow?"

"Yes." Harry answered with a roll of his green eyes, standing and heading towards the stairs with Ron trailing along behind him. Reaching the sixth year dorm, the boys crept in and moved silently to their beds, crawling beneath the covers to stare thoughtfully at the dark canopies floating above them. "How was detention?"

"Horrible, the Slytherins get weird when the sun sets." Ron grumbled, dragging the blankets over his head and burying his face in the pillow. "How was the Quidditch game?"

"Terrible." Harry grumped as he pounded a fist into his own pillow, flattening the deep red cover while attempting to ignore the Stag's hopeful request for release.

Harry's words brought Ron upright in bed, eyes wide as he stared incredulously at the other wizard. He couldn't help but yelp, "You lost?"

"No...we played Hufflepuff." Harry muttered, rolling his eyes at the question, when had they ever lost to Hufflepuff?

"That bad?" Ron questioned sympathetically, laying back down and dragging the covers up to his chin.

"Yeah, I almost fell off my broom." Harry stated, closing his eyes when he heard Ron suck in a deep breath. The next question was quite obvious to him.

"You got hit by a bludger?"

"No, fell asleep. Dean got hit by one though, he'll be spending tonight in the hospital wing for sure. I thought for a minute that their Beaters we're going to go down and see if he was alright." Harry mumbled as he began to drift off, his ears picking up the soft chuckle from Ron. He surrendered himself to darkness, knowing that tomorrow he was most definitely going for a run in the Forbidden Forest. His soul ached for it and his Stag was fighting for its freedom.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and took the time to offer suggestions. Names are as follows: 

Hermione - Ginger  
Pansy - Gem  
Ron - Ember  
Blaise - Frost  
Harry - Odin  
Draco - Beau

NinjaoftheDarkness - lol, poor girl! Hell, I feel the strain of naming 6 fictional characters, I don't think I'd be able to name an actual person, especially when they have to live with the name for the rest of their life.  
alasid - yep, Odin was the Chief god in Norse mythology. lol, I really wanted to use Nomad but I don't see it happening in this story.  
rayama - I think Hermione got put in her place in this chapter, no?  
MAnny2003 - Odin is the Chief god in Norse mythology, he was also seen as the god of magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt.  
Iredesent - lol, love the insult for our star witches. Unfortunately I won't use the name Thor due to the fact I had a dog with that name several years ago, we had to have him euthanized because of his arthritis. Love the name suggestions for Ron though...  
LandUnderWave - Names are possibly the hardest thing I have to come up with...the rest of the story can flow so easily then I have to choose a name and I come to a dead stop.  
BloodyMarry - lol, thanks for the name, but I think there shall be only one god in this story, it was a lovely name though and I seriously considered using it.  
StarAngel Caelum SunSoar - lol, you learn something every day and thanks for the suggestions.  
fourth-face-of-the-goddess - My, my...what an imagination you have there, you almost had me drooling.  
MirokuLuver's Friend - lol, Unfortunately I've gone with the majority on this one.  
Murphyangel – lol, glad you like the names.


	7. Enter the Forbidden Forest

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

**Chapter 6 - Enter the Forbidden Forest**

Harry rolled over with a groan, flinging a hand over his eyes before easing them open. The streaks of light painting the dorm room had him sitting up and looking at the time, gasping and tearing the covers back; he paused before sinking back onto the blankets with a relieved huff. Saturday. It was Saturday. He looked at Ron's bed and saw that the red head was missing and the bed had already been made neatly. Raising an eyebrow, he allowed his eyes to travel around the room. Dean and Seamus were both snoring from their beds and Neville was leaning against his pillows reading.

"Where'd Ron go?" He asked softly, his eyes on the other wizard.

Neville glanced over the top of his book and frowned at Harry, lowering the text he was reading, he chewed his lip for a minute before pointing at Harry's desk. "He left a note for you. He didn't say where he was going, only to make sure you got it."

"Thanks Neville." Harry said, stretching and grabbing the sealed envelope from where it rested among his school notes. The parchment had his name scribbled across the front and had been sealed with a lump of red candle wax. Unfolding it, he glanced at Neville who was once again reading before allowing his eyes to travel over the contents.

Harry,

As penance for my insensitive behaviour (Hermione's words, not mine), I have to spend all day doing whatever she wants. While it seemed like a good idea at the time, I hadn't realized she'd expect me to get up at six o'clock in the bloody morning. Consider yourself lucky mate. I'll see you later.

Ron

Harry burst into loud laughter and dragged his blankets over his head in an attempt to keep from waking his dorm mates. A pillow struck his blanket-covered head, causing him to suck in a mouthful of velvet before locking his fingers in his own pillow and swinging it out above him. Hearing the startled yelp, he emerged whooping and laughed as Seamus mercilessly attacked Dean from behind. Neville was quick to join the fray and a few minutes later, they all lay huffing around the room, pillows clenched tightly as they sought to regain their breath.

"I'm hungry." Dean muttered, scooping up several of the books that had been knocked off his desk during the war. Grunts of agreement, had all of them climbing to their feet and organizing the room slightly before dressing and hurrying toward the Great Hall. Harry happily told them about Ron's letter, inciting the others into guffaws of laughter and disturbing the early morning breakfast.

It was shortly after breakfast when they began to drift in different directions, each off to do their own business and get work done. Harry plodded back upstairs and sat down at his desk, listening to the Stag's plaintive calls. Rolling his eyes, he pulled a piece of parchment from his desk and wrote a quick letter to Ron. Looking around the room, he tried to decide where to shove it before tucking it under his friend's pillow. Stepping back, he looked around the room and glanced back down at his hiding spot, trying to decide if it was good enough. Shrugging, he grabbed the cloak that had recently been returned to him and draped it over his head, grinning as he headed down the stairs. The Stag threw back its head and bellowed, adrenaline pumping through its veins as it realized it was to taste freedom for the first time in days.

Carefully he made his way down to the forbidden forest, sighing in relief when he made it into the thick woods without being caught. Pulling the cloak off, he held it in his hands while he considered the material. Clothes changed with the transformation but would the cloak? Biting his lip, he decided it was best not to take chances and folded it carefully, settling it in the branches of a particularly memorable tree. Stepping back, he nodded at his choice before focusing his mind and allowing the change to sweep over him.

The Stag stamped a sharp hoof and tossed its head, nostrils flaring as it sucked in deep breaths of air. The morning sun cast the forest in a dappled pattern, breaking through the thick overhanging branches of the tall trees. Leaves fluttered softly in the gentle breeze and birds flew from branch to branch, voices rising in greeting. Odin took the first gliding step before bursting into motion, legs acting as springs as he thundered through the forest. Bracken crunched beneath his hooves as he raced, leaves catching and ripping on the sharp crown he wore. Folding his legs, he flung himself over a log, experiencing the sensation of flight before landing neatly and dancing onwards. He had all day to play.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Draco sat before the fire in the Slytherin Common Room. Books and several neat piles of parchment marked his current endeavor. He tossed his platinum blonde hair before sighing and leaning back in the cushy green chair he was draped across. His last assignment had been finished which meant he had the entire weekend to do whatever he wanted. The feeling was one of supreme relief, he glanced at the couch where Blaise and Pansy were cuddled. Both were still in their pajamas and curled beneath a thick throw, oblivious to the other students coming and going.

"Hey, Draco. Do you mind if Pansy and I go to Hogsmeade alone, we want to go to Madame Puddifoots?" Blaise asked, meeting the blonde's eyes and giving a quick wink.

Draco shivered before waving a delicate hand in dismissal, "By all means, do go." He purred, wondering if the other wizard had ever actually done more then glance in the window when he walked by.

"Thanks a lot Draco. What are you planning on doing today?" Pansy asked, her eyes wide as she reached over and fixed his hair, her fingers working quickly to straighten the damage done by an hour of work.

"Scare some first years, bother Severus on his day off. You know, the usual." He said with a smirk, glancing at the clock hanging above the mantle. Rising, he collected his papers, pausing when the Tiger growled unhappily. Rolling his eyes at the animals demand, he slid everything into his bag before heading toward the stairs. The Tiger snarled again, causing Draco to halt in the middle of the stairwell. The animal was usually more respectful of his wishes. The image of flashing fangs pierced his mind, quickly followed by a flood of forest scenes.

"Fine you stupid ball of fur. We'll go out but not until the young lovers leave." He whispered, jerking his head to glare at the second year standing behind him with raised eyebrows. "Do you want to die today?" He asked, the younger Slytherin fled back down the stairs. Snorting Draco continued on his way, depositing his bag on his desk. Looking himself over in the mirror, he leaned closer and narrowed his eyes, raising a hand and running it over the dull streak of black tracing its way through his pale hair. Beau, that damn cat! He quickly noted the appearance of several other dark streaks crisscrossing his hair.

Standing there, he knew he couldn't wait for Pansy and Blaise to leave, by then the Tiger would have taken over completely and he'd be prowling the bedroom just waiting to be released. Grabbing a cloak, he fled the room, pulling the hood up. He ignored the questioning calls from his friends as he stalked through the Common Room, picking up a light jog as he slipped out of the portal and slid around a corner only to bump into someone. The force of the collision sent him stumbling backwards, landing on his backside.

"Are you-Malfoy!" The voice growled. He raised his head and looked into the narrowed eyes of the Weasel, noting Granger standing to the left of him. He was about to reach for his wand but the feeling of hate was dull. He didn't want to attack the Gryffindors. Standing, he shook his cloak out before pushing between the pair and continuing on his path. The Forbidden Forest was calling him and the Tiger was answering.

Bursting out the doors, he flew into the shadows of the building and paused, shuddering as the Tiger struggled. He allowed the change to tear through him, dropping further into the concealing shadows. Beau raised his muzzle and dragged in a deep breath, ready to roar but stopped when he realized where he was. The sound of voices calling had him slinking into the concealing shadows, his striped coat hiding him in the darkened corner. His whiskers twitched and his tongue flicked over his nose as he listened to the fading voices. Grunting softly, he slid quickly across the grounds and into the Forbidden Forest. The low branches catching at his thick coat as he trekked deeper into the woods.

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Odin flicked his ear and lazily kicked at a bug zipping around his sides, muzzle buried in the lush green grass. The wind pulled lightly on the tree branches making the leaves whisper. Chewing contentedly on a mouthful of grass he raised his head and looked around, pausing to watch a pair of Thestrals glide into the clearing. The stench clinging to their coats had him snorting and rolling his eyes, stamping a dainty black hoof in distaste. Shaking his head, he broke into a light gait and slid back into the forest, his dark coat allowing him to vanish in the shadows cast by the tall trees.

He paused and playfully scored a tree with his antlers, the sharp prongs raking the bark from the tree and leaving gashes in the wood. He pranced around the tree, ducking and dodging an imaginary adversary. The sudden shriek of a raven had him halting and listening, his ears flicking as his nostrils drew in deep breaths of the fresh air. Muscles tensed in preparation of flight, coiled springs waiting to carry him to safety should he be attacked.

A sweet scent filled his nose and his ears laid themselves flat. He took several steps toward deeper brush before jerking suddenly and dropping his antlers. A pale shadow separated itself from the underbrush and ghosted into the clearing. Eyes the colour of ice were locked on him, following his every movement. Odin bellowed in warning, pointing his massive crown at the white tiger that had appeared from nowhere.

XxXxX

Beau haunted the forest paths, his paws carrying him easily along the rough deer trails and dead trees. His ears were cocked as he hunted, seeking prey that would bring justice to his skills. He rumbled as his nose picked up the distinctive smell of Thestrals, their scent causing him to push his whiskers forward in a cattish grimace. Sniffling, he dropped into a crouch and eyed the marred footprints buried in the muck, inhaling deeply before rumbling happily.

He rose fluidly, eyes shining with the excitement brought on by the prospect of a good hunt. He stalked the beast he hunted, his paws seeming to hover above the earth. Dead leaves protested his path, their subtle crunch the only telling sign he was there. He paused at the edge of a clearing, gazing at the Thestrals starring in his direction, their eyes emotionless and empty. He circled them widely, before swinging back onto his quarry's path, the smell sweet and fresh in his nose.

The scrape and clang of bone on wood had him freezing, muscles appearing to lock him in position. Beau slid forward carefully, peering through the low bushes at the beast dancing around a thick trunked tree. Its coat was a thick black and its antlers were large and sharp, held in a kingly manner even as the animal played. He took a single step forward and hissed when a twig gave beneath a clawed paw, the sound stilling the stag. The beast was searching for him now, eyes and ears seeking where he hid.

The white tiger ghosted between the fallen branches and thick undergrowth, tail flicking gently as its eyes remained locked on the massive stag standing at alert next to the tall tree. Beau once again sought to hide, slipping easily into another position that would allow him to strike when he got the chance. Settling down, he locked his eyes on the dark king.

XxXxX

Odin snorted loudly, the noise cracking in warning. One hoof scuffed at the earth, digging a hole in agitation. He tipped his head as he eyed the shadowed form lounging among the brush. A white tiger, its strange eyes locked on him. Taking a step back, he shook his head and roared in challenge, emerald eyes narrowing in anger. He was a king of the forest, to be respected by all others. His hooves flashed as he danced nimbly in place, his gesture clear to the animal hiding before him. The cat's first leap was expected, its claws raking at the thick vein running up his neck. Antlers flashed as he pushed the tiger back, its forelegs locked around the heavy crown he carried. His muscles flexed as he buried his head into the cat's underbelly and thrust, sending the animal flying backwards into the brush.

Odin rolled his bright eyes and snorted loudly, prancing a step before halting, head thrown back as his eyes searched the shadows. Shaking his sharp crown in threat, he took a charging leap forward and raked at the brush the cat was lying among. The pointed prongs ripped and shredded at the leaves, forcing the tiger to skitter backwards and dive for better cover. Bellowing in warning, the stag wheeled about and jumped over a rotting branch that lay across his path, forelegs tucked tightly to his chest. Slipping on the uneven footing, he sprang nimbly around the trees, ears tipped as he listened for his attacker.

An explosion to the right heralded the arrival of the white tiger, its eyes flashing mercilessly as it swiped a large paw at his face. Odin swerved and spun, lowering the rack of antlers and charging, his hooves burying themselves deeply in the ground with every stride. The tiger lowered itself and snarled, curling its lips back to reveal glistening fangs. Snorting in outrage, Odin slammed into the cat, feeling its fangs tear into his shoulder at the same time one sharp tine slid through thick fur and pierced flesh.

Shrieking, the white tiger loosed its grip and launched itself into the green foliage above them, claws hauling him to safety even as the stag rose on hind legs and swiped his antlers at the cat's unprotected side. Stomping, Odin tipped his head back and grunted, emerald eyes flashing slightly as he breathed heavily. His skin twitched at the blood running down his dark hide from the stinging bite. Swinging his head around, he eyed the mark before attempting to lick it clean, pausing when the branch above him creaked loudly. Lunging to the side, he dipped his head and sprang at the tiger crouched in the dirt.

Hind legs propelling him forward, he brought his forelegs to his chest and prepared to strike the cat with his full weight, unprepared for the tigers liquid leap. Growling in pleasure, the tiger ran claws along the stag's side, ripping through the black hair and caressing flesh. Odin stumbled at the cat's strike, crying out in pain even as he worked to recover his balance. Pain rushed up his spine as he tried to wheel around, straining one hock with the effort and leaving him standing on three legs.

Taking a hobbling step forward, he bellowed as the cat circled him carefully. He shivered as the blue eyes shone and a pink tongue laved blood from whiskers. Soft treading steps seemed to disappear, making him swing his head as he searched for the tiger, nose and ears working quickly. The tiger pounced suddenly, its full weight slamming onto Odin's back and sending him crashing to the ground, legs buckling under the force.

XxXxX

Beau circled his prey, eyes ghosting over the heaving sides of the stag with pleasure. The animal heaved in a deep breath as it attempted to regain its hooves, back end crippled by a dangerous maneuver. Approaching the stag, he applied a taunting lick to its side, ducking the prong swung viciously at his head. Purring in amusement, he walked widely around the animal, watching as emerald eyes rolled and the animal struggled to stand.

The loud crack of a breaking branch had both animals pausing, senses working as they searched for the new threat. Beau caught the smell of unicorn on the wind and gave a toothy grin, returning his attention to his stag. Seeing the beast's preoccupation with the sound, he glided in for the strike, fangs locking within the thick hair of the stag's throat. Pinning the struggling animal still with a large paw on its neck, he tightened his grip and sank his teeth deeper into bloody flesh.

The jingling of metal on metal had him rolling an eye and peering at the leg lashing around dangerously above his head. Bright silver gleamed against black and his fangs loosened even as the sweet taste of chocolate and strawberries filled his muzzle. A memory of tanned skin and emerald eyes flashed through his mind. The stag was wheezing now, struggling for every breath, movements slowing steadily. Human memories assuaged him, messy dark hair and narrowed emeralds, stinging words and fists against flesh. He let go suddenly, taking a slinking step backwards as he watched the animal take a shuddering breath, sides heaving as it drew in much needed air.

Beau rumbled unhappily, tongue running along his lips and cleaning them of remaining blood. He watched with some concern as the stag shifted and tried to regain its hooves. His mind worked the problem over as he watched the animal collapse again, its eyes drifting closed in defeat. Yowling at the dark animal, he slunk closer and rumbled in question. The stag's nostrils worked quickly, deep sucking breaths that stirred the dirt beneath his nose. One eye slitted and the animal made a half-hearted attempt to strike at Beau.

Taking this as a good sign, Beau gave the animal's muzzle a tentative lap, before backing away and growling. The stag eyed him for a minute before trying to push himself up, tilting as his one back leg was unable to bear his weight. Before the massive animal could fall over, the tiger swooped in and leaned against him, using his own considerable bulk to hold the emerald eyed stag in place.

Scrambling, the stag straightened his forelegs and stood, weaving slightly as he shook his head. Backing away Beau slid into the underbrush, halting when the stag took its first staggering step. He followed the black stag's limping process all the way to where Hogwarts stood before the Forbidden Forest, its tall shadow stretching out to the Forbidden forest. Giving a rumbled goodbye, he veered off, pausing only once to see the stag moving further down the darkened tree line.

XxXxX

Odin halted in a small clearing, his antlers catching in the dark green leaves of the drooping branches. He sighed softly and shook his head, the crown he bore weighing heavily upon him. He limped to a patch of deep grass and lipped at it before folding his legs and lowering himself gently to the ground, ignoring the stab of pain tracing its way up his side.

The white tiger's actions confused him, to first attack and then aid him was beyond belief. His mind worked slowly as it worked to recall where he had seen those pale eyes and that fluffy white fur. Memories whispered through his mind, images of a blonde wizard with flashing eyes of ice and robes of black marked with a snake. Closing his eyes, he rested his head on the ground and thought of his human body, heaving a last sigh as the change ripped through him. Harry Potter opened his eyes and rolled over, peering up at the clouds passing across the late afternoon sky.

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A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Um, trunked is now a word . . . in my personal dictionary. FYI, I broke a bottle of beer over my lap on Tuesday and had to walk around looking like I peed myself. Thanks again!

SouriMaxwellYuy068 – Draco's tiger is a lot closer to the surface then Blaise and Pansy's  
animagus form. Thus, his senses were strong enough to make Harry smell good as well as pick him up at all. The same goes for the trio.  
NinjaoftheDarkness – lol, I wish my brother wouldn't talk to me for two weeks… I wonder what that would be like? ;)  
websurffer – That would be something to see, and your neighbours can't be near as nasty as mine our crazy! Bunch of weirdo's that they are…  
BloodyMarry – yep, Draco's name is pronounced 'bow', it means beautiful or handsome.  
Iredesent – lol, yeah Hufflepuffs…just no challenge there for the Gryffindors. Don't worry about Hermione, she has Ron to do her bidding and Blaise's actions shall become more apparent in future chapters.


	8. Healing and Books

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling

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**Chapter 7 - Healing and Books**

Harry groaned and knocked Hermione's hands away from his throat. He winced as the collar of his shirt rubbed against one of the slowly healing gashes. The mirror over the bathroom counter reflected his image, showing the dark bruising circling his throat and the teeth marks marring his skin

. "I can't believe you. Seriously Harry, what were you thinking? We all know what type of creatures live in the Forbidden Forest and yet you go running off half-cocked." Hermione said angrily, hands pushing past his to apply a thick strip of gauze to a small puncture mark. Harry whimpered as Hermione glared down at him, fingers purposely rough against the tender flesh.

"You should have told Ron and I that you were planning on going out."

"How the hell was I supposed to know I'd be attacked?" Harry demanded, pushing her hands away again and jerking around to face her. "I'm a very big stag Hermione. Ron and I have been trying to get you to go out with us for the past week and you've been to busy. You may be able to ignore your animagus but I can't. I couldn't wait any longer."

"Still Harry-"

"No Hermione! Harry's right, we haven't gone out once since we've been here. Your animagus is smaller then both of ours and much easier to control. My wolf practically went nuts several days ago if you remember. Not only did I attack Zabini but I did it in Potions." Ron said with a shake of his head as he handed Harry back his school robes. Both wizards stood and glared at the witch standing before them, smirking when she sighed and gave in.

"Fine, but next time at least leave a note, one that's says more then 'I went out'." Hermione mumbled as she packed up her first aid kit. Ron chuckled and pulled the scrap of crumpled parchment from his pocket, handing the note back to Harry. "Are you sure it was the same tiger?"

"I can't really remember, it's vague." Harry murmured thoughtfully, pulling up several of Odin's memories. The flashes of memory were sparse and unconnected, from a patch of especially sweet grass to the jaws of a massive white tiger. The Stag grunted and tossed his head the thick ruff of fur around his neck hiding the wound. "I'm pretty sure it was. There can't be more then one white tiger running around."

"You believe it's Malfoy, don't you?" Hermione asked softly, ignoring Ron's snort of disgust at the mention of the Slytherin.

Harry nodded slowly, fingers brushing against the bandage encircling his throat. "He was the only person in the hall other then myself. Not to mention Odin acted the same with Draco as he did with the Tiger."

"It is possible." Hermione muttered, leading the way from the bathroom. "Draco shares a very close friendship with Pansy and Blaise. They're most likely animagi as well, that would explain Ron's fight with Blaise and my argument with Pansy."

Harry nodded and rubbed his eyes, beginning the slow climb up to the dorms. The Gryffindor dorms were almost completely empty, many of the students still out enjoying the warm weather and the day off. He pushed the door of the sixth year's boys' dorm open and trudged inside, shedding his robes and dropping them at the end of his bed.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, watching in curiosity as Harry continued to pull his clothes off.

"I," Harry said, dragging his pajamas out from under his pillow, "am going back to bed."

Ron's mouth fell open and he turned to look at Hermione who had just walked into the room, gesturing at Harry. "Harry says he's going to bed." A door slammed in the distance and voices called from the Common Room.

Frowning, Hermione tucked Harry in before raising an eyebrow at the expression on Ron's face. "He had a hard day Ron. Not to mention his throat probably hurts and he's most likely hungry."

Harry rolled onto his stomach and buried his face beneath his pillow, ignoring the streak of pain racing up his spine from the bruises around his neck. "Hermione, how long will it take for these cuts to heal?"

"I'm not really sure. The wound was caused by an animagi, which is a magical creature, but the injury doesn't belong to you. It belongs to Odin, who is also a piece of magic. I'd say it should heal pretty quickly but I'd have to check several books before I could be sure." Hermione stated, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. Waving a hand she turned to Ron, "I think you should go and get Harry something to eat from the kitchen, and on your way back I need you to pick several books up from the library."

"Hermione! I couldn't possibly carry all the food Harry will need as well as those books. Think of how heavy that would be." Ron groaned, flopping onto the bed next to Harry. The dark haired wizard whimpered and dragged the red blankets up higher, ignoring the low growl Hermione made in her throat.

"Fine, you get the food and I'll go to the library and get the books. I'd rather do it myself anyway, at least I'll know it was done properly." Hermione mumbled, rubbing her hands together and looking around the messy room. Throwing the lid of Harry's trunk open, she began to paw through its contents, ignoring Ron's gasp of outrage. "Where's your cloak Harry?"

Grunting something unintelligible, Harry waved his hand around above his head before pointing down. Shaking her head, Hermione dropped to her knees and winced before extending a hand into the darkness beneath Harry's bed. She heaved a deep breath when her fingers closed around the cool fabric of the invisibility cloak on her first attempt. Flinging the cloak around her shoulders, she peered at Ron who was still seated on Harry's bed.

"Come on, Ron." Hermione said, grabbing the red head and dragging him towards the door. She froze in the door way and turned back to Harry, looking at the small lump he made beneath the thick velvet covers. "We'll be back in thirty minutes or so." She smiled as Harry waved a hand lazily in the direction of the door. Sighing, she closed the door behind her and pushed Ron down the stairs ahead of her. "Don't dill-dally either Ron."

"Whatever." Ron grunted, opening the portrait and waiting for Hermione to exit before allowing the portal to bang closed behind them. Licking his lips, he trotted in the direction of the kitchen.

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Draco lay on his back in the center of his large bed. He was clad in his favourite pale blue silk pajamas, the cloth cool against his skin. A wet cloth rested across his forehead and his feet were propped on a hot water bottle. The loud banging on his door had him lifting the cloth and glaring at the thick wooden portal, ignoring the insistent pounding he wiggled into a more comfortable position and dropped his head onto a pillow.

"Draco!" Pansy shrieked shrilly from the other side of the wood, her small fists rocking the door on its hinges. Draco growled softly but found his heart wasn't in the threatening sound. Frowning, he called out to his Tiger only to be consumed by a wave of guilt.

"Here Pansy, let me open it." Blaise's voice rumbled, seconds later the lock clicked and the door swung inward, revealing the pair standing in the middle of the doorway.

Draco whimpered at the looks on their faces, he wasn't in the mood to deal with them right now. "What can I do for you two?"

"You ran out of the Common Room earlier?" Blaise said as he glided into the room, his nose twitching in a wolfish manner. Draco curled his lip and hissed at Blaise, allowing his Tiger to creep from its hiding spot and flash its fangs. "You smell strange."

Pansy stalked forward and narrowed her eyes, reaching down and pulling one side of Draco's shirt up. The small puncture wound caused by the stag's antler was fiery red and surrounded by darkening bruises. "You were out in the Forbidden Forest, weren't you?"

"Yes." Draco muttered, tugging his shirt back into place and glaring at the witch. Blaise paced back to the door and closed it softly, turning and leaning against the wood as he raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Pansy questioned, hands tugging the shirt back up so she could examine the gash.

"I wasn't planning on it." Draco mumbled, rolling his eyes and giving up keeping his shirt down. Crossing his arms over his chest, he met the fierce gaze of Blaise and hissed in annoyance.

Blaise tipped his head to the side and walked forward, one hand locking around the wooden frame of Draco's bed. "You smell of blood and the hunt. What gave you that wound Draco?"

Groaning, Draco dragged the cool cloth from his forehead down over his eyes, sighing at the soothing feeling. "A stag. A king stag with a black coat and emerald eyes."

"Something tells me you didn't win." Pansy whispered, one finger probing the puncture and withdrawing when Draco hissed in pain. Pulling the silk back down, she climbed onto the bed and sat cross-legged at the bottom, peering at Draco thoughtfully.

"You should have been able to bring down a stag." Blaise stated, sliding onto the bed and folding his legs while waiting patiently for the blonde to explain what had occured.

"It was a big stag." Draco grumbled in his defense, "and you should both be glad I didn't kill that stag. It was wearing a silver band around one of its hind legs."

"A silver band?" Pansy whispered.

"Yes, like the gold ones we wear when we go out." Draco said, sitting up carefully and placing one hand on the wound. Reaching over to his night table, he rummaged around inside before pulling out the wooden box that had been buried beneath several trinkets. The gold gleamed in his hand, the two charms seeming to twist and writhe as if they had a life all their own. "It even had two charms attached to it."

"Another student probably." Blaise said quietly, sitting back and staring thoughtfully into the canopy of Draco's bed. The room was quiet as all three considered the meaning of this information. "Who else would have the guts and intelligence to pull something like this off?"

"Potter would have the guts but Granger would have the brains." Pansy muttered, tossing her hair at the mention of the Gryffindor witch. "Who do you think it was Draco?"

"It could only have been Potter. When I attacked him that day in the hall, I got a taste of his blood. The stag tasted the same; like chocolate covered strawberries." Draco groaned before sliding back against the headboard, hand closing tightly around the gold bracelet he held. Pansy and Blaise exchanged a look of disbelief before turning their shocked gazes back to the blonde wizard.

"How badly was he injured?" Pansy asked, reaching out and catching Draco's hand in hers. She pulled the gold from his hand and returned it to the box, sliding it back into the drawer it had been dragged from.

"I had him by the throat. Beau seemed to recognize him and let go, I believe we trailed him to the edge of the forest but I can't remember." Draco said unhappily, biting his lip when Pansy gasped in shock at his words. A door slammed down the hall and brought all three back to reality.

"I need some books from the library." Pansy announced, turning her glittering gaze on Blaise who sighed and rolled off the bed. "Wounds to an animagus by an animagus will heal in a matter of hours so you should be okay, however, I'd prefer that you remain in bed. Blaise can pick you up something from the kitchen for dinner."

"I don't remember volunteering myself to play house elf." Blaise huffed as he shook his cloak out and plodded towards the door. He paused in the doorway and waited for Pansy to remove herself from Draco's bed, knowing that he if he wasn't given a list he'd never remember all the books she wanted.

Pansy climbed off the bed and turned to face Draco, smiling as she flipped one of the blankets over his lap. Giving him a pat on the hand, she leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll make sure Blaise gets some chocolate. Chocolate always makes me feel better."

"Thank you Pansy" Draco mumbled., replacing the damp cloth across his face. Sinking back into the heap of pillows he kept on his bed, he listened as his friends left the room, arguing softly between themselves. When the door shut quietly behind the pair, he groaned and prayed that Blaise kept Pansy busy for a while.

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Ron sat on small stool in the corner of the large kitchen, the house elves skittered about as they cooked and cleaned. His mouth watered as a chicken was pulled out of an oven, the scent making him moan softly. One of the house elves tottered towards him carrying a large covered tray, a bright small plastered across its face.

"Thank you." Ron sputtered, as he accepted the steaming burden. Chuckling happily and looking forward to the feast he turned towards the door and froze when it swung open before him. Blaise Zabini stepped into the room and glanced around, his nose twitching and his eyes searching. "Damn."

"Weasley." Zabini muttered, eyes zoning in on the red head. The pair stood there, chins down and eyes locked.

"Zabini." Ron returned, unable to stop the slight curl of his upper lip. The kitchen went silent as all the house elves turned to watch the Gryffindor and Slytherin face off, mindful of past fights between the Houses.

"I need something for dinner and chocolate; lots of chocolate." Blaise said, breaking the staring contest and turning to the nearest house elf, watching as the creature leapt into action. Blaise prowled deeper into the room, circling widely around Ron and clearing the doorway. Ron shifted and eyed the other wizard before heading towards the door, back straight and eyes forward. His wolf growled softly and bared fangs, waiting impatiently for Blaise to accept the challenge. The Slytherin peered at Ron then grinned, nodding his head before returning his attention to the house elves gathering the requested items.

"Slytherins." Ron rumbled as he walked out the door, hot tray balanced carefully. His wolf still hadn't calmed and continued to growl softly. A low hiss had him halting and spinning on one heel, peering into the shadows around him. A flash of gold eyes and a long fur announced the arrival of Mrs. Norris. The cat hissed again and lashed its tail causing Ron to smile evilly. He took a measured step towards the cat and snarled, baring overly long white teeth. Fluffing its self up, the cat gave him an angered look before darting into the shadows, bawling loudly.

"Cats." Ron mumbled with a smile, sneaking a piece of chicken off the tray as he continued on his way back to Gryffindor House. His wolf laughed softly, slightly appeased by the cats fear.

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Hermione glided down the hall, cloak draped completely over robes. Her vixen cooed happily, content to lend the witch several of her skills at maneuvering unseen through open areas. Hermione waited patiently outside the library doors, watching for some student to open the door as they entered or exited. She leaned against one of the walls and glanced at the list she held, finger trailing across her neat writing.

"Now, get me all the books on this list and come back here. Do it quickly or Draco will be very upset."

Hermione sighed as she turned in the direction of the voice, an eyebrow raised as Pansy dragged a first year student around the corner. The Slytherin witch pushed the younger student towards the door, tapping one toe as the wizard stopped with one hand on the door handle.

"Well?" Pansy growled, one eyebrow shooting up under her bangs as she tipped her head.

"What do I get out of this again?" The first year asked, waving the list Pansy had pushed into his hand.

"Too live." Pansy hissed, taking a step forward and drawing her wand. Hermione slipped a hand into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around her wand, grabbing the cloak as it started to slide over her head. The vixen growled and informed Hermione how bad it was of the other witch to use such a tone with a young pup. Smiling at the fox's words, Hermione darted through the door of the library after the young Slytherin.

"Now to get the books I need without being seen." Hermione mumbled, tiptoeing towards the books on transfiguration. Standing before the shelves, she ran a finger along the wood as she read the spines. Collecting three of the books she had wanted, she paused in mid reach as the Slytherin first year Pansy had been giving orders to wandered over to the shelf, reading a crumpled piece of paper and looking over the books. The vixen hissed as the other student pulled a book off the shelf and compared it with the note before nodding to himself.

"Damn." Hermione whispered, reading over the boys shoulder. Quickly glancing at the books piled in his arms, she noted several of them were ones she had written on her own list. Nodding to himself, the Slytherin headed towards the counter and checked the books out. Waiting by the doors, Hermione slunk out after the young wizard, stopping behind him as he handed the books over to Pansy.

"I got them all but these two." He said as he shoved the books into Pansy's hands. Pansy flipped through them before curling her lip as she figured out which books were missing from the pile.

"Granger!" She hissed, whipping around and charging down the hall, the younger student bumbling along in her wake. Frowning, Hermione clutched the books to her chest and headed back to Gryffindor House, eager to begin her research and see that Harry ate something.

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A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review! I'm glad everyone's enjoying it.

Manny 2003 – lol, question answered.  
NinjaoftheDarkness – poor you! lol, I spend my weekends home fighting with my brother and use the week to recover.  
rayama – yeah, that probably explains Draco's actions.


	9. Tree Top Conversation

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling

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**Chapter 8 - Tree Top Conversation**

Harry slitted one eye and groaned softly, raising a hand to his throat. The soft skin was healed under his fingers. Sighing in pleasure, he rolled over and looked at Ron's bed, grinning when he saw the red head curled up with his arm around Hermione's waist. Sliding from beneath the warm blankets, he moved towards the window and pushed against the pane, swinging the window open. Leaning his head over the ledge, he peered down and grinned at the beauty before his eyes.

"Harry?" Hermione's tired voice called, the words loud in the room full of sleeping people. Immediately a rash of moans and whimpers were heard from behind bed curtains. "Really people, it's half past ten on a Sunday morning, you should all be up and working. Not to mention you missed breakfast."

"Thank Merlin for lunch." Dean grumbled from his bed, his voice slightly muffled due to the concealing curtains. Hermione's sigh of disappointment was loud as she pulled herself from Ron's arms and propped herself up against the dark wooded headboard.

"Good morning Hermione." Harry whispered loudly from his place by the window. The gentle wind threaded fingers through his mussed hair and tugged lightly, drawing his attention back to the view from the Tower. The sun was already high in the blue sky and there wasn't a cloud in sight.

"How are you feeling Harry?" The witch asked carefully, ignoring the squeeze of warning Ron applied to her legs.

"Good, my headache is completely gone." Harry replied, putting his hands on the edge of the windowsill and pushing himself up onto the wood so he could lean comfortably against the frame. His gaze returned to the picturesque morning and he sighed in contentment, allowing Odin to surface and share the vision with him. The stag grunted and looked beyond the sprawling green lawn to the shadowed forest, his eagerness to run overwhelming the dark haired wizard.

"Are you sure? You just whimpered." Ron asked sleepily, his chin propped on Hermione's knee. Hermione settled her fingers in the soft curls and tightened her grip, smiling when Ron attempted to bat her hand away.

"It's just so nice out." Harry lied badly, snatching the pillow heaved at him from Seamus' bed and holding it out the window. A strong breeze tugged at the red pillowcase, ripping the cloth free from the pillow and sending it floating slowly away. "Oops."

"'Oops' what?" Seamus muttered, hand held above his eyes to block the light streaming into them. The group watched in startled comprehension as Harry pulled the pillow back in the window minus the gaudy cover. Snorts, laughter, and a sigh of disappointment from Hermione greeted the pillows return.

"I'll go get it." Harry said, diving off the ledge and pulling his broom from its case beneath the bed. Running a loving hand down the wood, he climbed back onto the frame and crouched in the opening, looking at the beckoning grass far below the window.

"Take the stairs." Warned Hermione, leaning forward like she was going to grab him before he could take the plunge.

"Where the hell is the fun in that Hermione?" Harry taunted, sliding carefully so he was sitting on the ledge outside the window. He glanced in the direction the pillowcase had flown and grinned when he saw it had gotten caught in the large branches of a Walnut tree. Hearing the creak of wood and the rustle of blankets, he pushed himself off the ledge and fell towards the ground, broom held tightly in one hand.

"Harry!" Hermione's deafening shriek followed his fall as he watched the ground rush up to meet him. At the last plausible second he whipped his broom beneath him and shot straight upwards, fighting the pull of gravity and speed. He soared back up to the window and hovered before the group of cheering Gryffindors, making a mock bow before glancing at Hermione.

"I'm going to take that broom from you." The Gryffindor witch warned, ignoring the guys calls of pleasure and admiration to Harry. Dropping back onto the bed, she glanced at Ron who was rubbing the side of his face and immediately felt remorseful. "Sorry for hitting you with my knee."

"That's okay." Ron mumbled, one hand running over the tender skin of his cheek. He smiled up at Hermione and ignored her muffled curse as she saw the blood on his lower lip. A flick of her wand healed the injured flesh and had it returning to normal.

Harry glided towards the pillowcase and frowned when it waved at him from just beyond his reach. Flying lower, he rested his feet on a branch and pulled his broom from beneath him, settling it carefully in the crook of several branches before reaching above him and pulling himself upwards. Climbing carefully towards the pillowcase, he clung to a branch as Odin protested their current location. Cursing, Harry snagged the red flag and looked downwards. His eyes closed as he began the process of feeling for a branch under him, bare toes searching for the rough bark of the tree.

The sudden sensation of his fingers slipping had him gasping and grabbing madly as he skittered downward. The distant cries of his friends were loud in his ears as he slipped further down the trunk. His fingers locked themselves around a branch as his upper body slammed into the thick wood, breath heaving out of his sore lungs. Opening his eyes, he looked down and groaned. His beloved broom lay on the grass among broken twigs and shredded leaves.

"I told you to take the stairs!" Hermione's voice rang out over the grounds, sending birds fleeing into the safety of the sky. Rolling his eyes, he waved the red pillowcase before perching himself carefully on the branch.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this one." Harry muttered as he swung his legs, raising a hand to shade his eyes as he searched the windows of the tower. He grinned when he saw a glaring Hermione standing in the window with her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed and lips moving in a silent curse.

"Gentlemen, it must be our lucky day." The voice had Harry cringing as he dropped his gaze back to the ground. Three Slytherins stood at the base of the tree, all of them wearing evil smirks as they peered up at him.

"I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning." Mourned Harry, fingers digging into the rough bark as he pulled his feet under him and stood with the thought of climbing higher.

"Did you know lions are one of the few breeds of cats that don't climb trees well." Theodore Knott purred, wand dangling from his relaxed fingers. "Guess you missed that little fact eh, Potter?"

"Haha, that's hilarious. Shouldn't you be curled under a rock somewhere?" Harry growled, his eyes returning to the tower window. Hermione and the others had disappeared, most likely on their way down to retrieve him.

"It's rather early for you to be out Theodore." A cool voice interjected, bringing the oral battle to a halt. Harry closed his eyes and whimpered, head thudding against the trunk of the tree, his day had just gotten worse.

XxXxX

Draco crossed his arms over his chest and tapped one boot impatiently, eyes locked on his fellow Slytherins. He ignored the whimper from above him as he glided forward and planted a boot firmly on the broom lying on the grass. Bristling in outrage, Theodore opened his mouth and took a step forward in an effort to threaten the blonde. Draco smiled sweetly as he tapped the other wizard under the chin with his wand, biting down the overwhelming laughter he felt at the look of fear crossing all three faces.

"Leave." He ordered as he turned slowly on his heel, eyes ghosting over the trunk of the tree before beginning to travel up into its green canopy. His wand was slid back into its sheathe as he listened to the sound of retreating steps, sighing as he began to pace back and forth. 'Tell me Potter; are you really this stupid or is your luck just this bad?"

"Mind your own business Malfoy." Harry said quietly, reseating himself on the branch he had been clinging to moments ago.

"Here's the thing Potter, you are my business." Draco growled, tipping his chin up and meeting the fierce green eyes of Harry. The black haired wizard muttered something and looked in the direction of the castle. "I suppose you're looking for the cavalry."

"Unfortunately the cavalry ran into Professor Snape, they shall be detained for an unknown period of time." Pansy called upwards into the branches, looking at the ground with a lip curled in distaste before seating herself on the grass.

Harry narrowed his eyes as Blaise stalked into the shadows created by the tree and flopped down next to Pansy, leaning back on his elbows to stare at him. "Do you honestly have nothing better to do, Malfoy?"

"It's Sunday Potter, we've completed our schoolwork and felt a walk was in order. It was just our luck that we happened to pass by a small pride of lions caught in the jaws of a large snake." Draco replied, tucking his hands behind his back and beginning to walk around the trunk. He smiled when Beau rumbled happily, the massive tiger swinging his tail playfully. Sighing, he looked at Potter who was glaring down at him like a spiteful kitten.

Blaise chuckled as Harry mushed the red pillowcase up and threw it down at Draco, the pair returning to their glaring match. "What lovely pajamas you are wearing Harry."

"Shut up!" Harry snapped, wobbling uneasily on the branch as his face flushed red. He stood again and placed one hand on the tree, searching the castle desperately for some sigh of rescue. The emerald cotton pajamas he wore had been a gift from Hermione, a much appreciated and loved gift.

"The Forbidden Forest is a dangerous place, Potter." Draco stated quietly, hands folded neatly before him. He paused in his circling and looked up at the sky, chewing on his lip in thought. "One never truly knows what they will run into. Wolves, thestrals, werewolves, centaurs, giant spiders. . .the list goes on. Not exactly the best place for a lone stag. I advise you to mind your self while romping around with the Weasel and the mudblood." Spinning around, Draco set off for the castle, cloak and robe snapping in his wake.

"We'll be watching you Potter." Blaise called as he rose fluidly, one hand held out to help Pansy to her feet. The Slytherins gave him a final glare before nodding and chasing after their leader.

XxXxX

Draco stalked towards the castle, his hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his robe. He slowed as Pansy and Blaise caught up too him, taking the couple of steps into the castle and turning down a long corridor.

"What exactly was that?" Pansy asked, raising an eyebrow as Draco stopped next to a window and leaned against the wall, eyes narrowed on the large tree in the distance. The distant calling ov voices and the pounding of feet had Pansy and Blaise grabbing for their wands, freezing when Draco held up a hand.

"Potter is the last hope of the wizarding world. We all know what will happen if Voldemort wins. Unless of course you want to become a mindless worm bowing and scraping before a wizard who doesn't even deserve our respect." Draco murmured, blue eyes focused on the Gryffindor rescue attempt occurring out on the yard. He smirked as he watched Hermione shake a finger while telling Harry off, the dark haired wizard having no way of escaping the angry lecture.

"Careful Draco." Blaise hissed, frantically searching the hall for anyone who might be eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Relax, there's no one here but us and the Gryffindor Rescue Squad." Draco said while indicating the group gathered beneath the large tree. All three winced when Potter's broom was thrown into the air. "They may have courage and bravery but they certainly lack basic strategy skills."

"Let me get this straight: we're now supposed to watch our own backs as well as Potters?" Pansy asked softly, her attention locked on the blonde wizard smiling faintly at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

"Harry is a smart guy, when he notices we aren't attacking him anymore he'll put his small mind into gear."

Draco smiled as Harry floated to the ground on his broom, the Gryffindors erupting into cheers as his feet touched the green grass. The victory was short lived as Hermione grabbed him by the ear and began to drag him towards the castle, ignoring the boos her movement caused.

"Potter has the worst of luck." Blaise muttered, cringing at Hermione's hold on Harry.

Pansy snorted and shook her head, hair flopping around with the intensity of the maneuver. "If I ever caught you or Draco doing something so stupid I'd do the exact same thing. Then again I'm a Slytherin so I probably wouldn't have grabbed you by the ear." She murmured thoughtfully, smiling in pride as the Gryffindor witch's stern voice floated to them as she lectured."

"Right." Blaise shuddered, taking a peek at Draco to see how the other wizard had reacted to Pansy's statement. His eyebrows drew down as Draco continued to stare into the sky, a small grin playing across his features. "Forget it."

"We should head up and see if we can get an early lunch." Pansy suggested, entwining her arm through Draco's and snatching Blaise's hand up. Pulling them towards the Great Hall, she smiled to herself at the distant look on Draco's face. It seemed that the Slytherin tiger was being tamed by a Gryffindor lion.

XxXxX

"And if I ever see you jump out a window again, broom in hand or not, I'll spell your legs to feel like they're broken so you understand what would happen if you didn't get on your broom fast enough." Hermione ranted, fingers twisting on Harry's earlobe in an attempt to keep his attention. "And furthermore, if we ever have to rescue you from a tree I will not be impressed. You don't want me unimpressed, Harry, bad things happen."

"Sure Hermione." Harry mumbled, ignoring the witch's gasp and yank as she interpreted his agreement as sarcasm.

"I mean it Harry. Are you listening? You don't look like you're listening." Hermione snarled, stomping down the corridor in the direction of Gryffindor House. She narrowed her eyes at the hushed whispers from behind her and glared over her shoulder in warning, smirking when the wizards went silent.

"Hermione, I'm sure Harry's listening. In fact, he probably has every word of your moving speech memorized." Dean said as he trotted to walk beside the witch, giving Harry a friendly slap on the back in a show of support. He held his hands up in surrender when Hermione tipped her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey Hermione, can you finish your lecture in the Great Hall cause we're hungry and we'd hate to miss your words of wisdom." Seamus called, patting his stomach.

Harry muttered a quiet insult at his friend before struggling free of Hermione's grip, brushing his pajama pants in an effort to remove clinging bits of bark. "Hermione, I'm a grown boy. If I have the sudden urge to jump out of window just to see if I can fly, nothing you say will stop me. Furthermore, I have to go change into proper clothes before I can go to lunch because bad things happen when I miss two meals in a row."

"You said it mate." Ron hollered, pumping his fist in triumphant before blushing at Hermione's face. Switching to groveling, he grabbed her hand and placed a quick kiss on her wrist, eyes pleading silently. "Fine, go do what you want. It seems like my presence only makes you stupider anyway." Hermione grumbled, tugging her hand free and marching onward, halting halfway up the brightly lit staircase she turned and looked down at them. "If anyone needs me I'll be studying in the Common Room."

"Well, who's for lunch?" Ron asked into the silence, chewing his lip at the calculating expressions on the faces of his fellow wizards. "What?"

"We're we just insulted? I think she called us stupid!" Dean said thoughtfully raising his eyebrow before waving his own question away. "I really need to eat something. Halfway through Hermione's lecture I zoned out, which was really unusual. Generally I make sure I memorize the best parts to use later."

Leading the way to the Great Hall, Harry sighed and ran a hand up his broom. The warm wood comforting as his mind replayed the conversation he'd had with Draco. Odin grunted internally and flipped his tail, chewing slowly in agreement with Harry's thoughts. Draco had revealed himself and told Harry to be careful in the same conversation. Sighing, he dragged his fingers through his messy hair and glanced down at his pajamas. He was never going to live this one down either.

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A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Hope everyone has a wonderful Labour Day long weekend.

LandUnderWave – lol, that's okay, when I was done writing I rewarded myself with a bowl of chocolate ice cream.  
NinjapftheDarkness – ah College Residence, it's like living with six hundred brothers and sisters who drink all night and sleep all day. . . don't worry though, they grow on you.


	10. Confrontations

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

A/N: Please be aware that though Harry knows Draco is the tiger and vice versa, they don't know the names of their animagus forms. Thus, Beau will refer to Odin as Harry and Odin will refer to Beau as Draco.

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**Chapter 9 - Confrontations**

The Gryffindor Common Room was almost empty on the beautiful Sunday afternoon. Many of the Lions having set aside what they were doing to enjoy the warmth and sun of the fall day. Harry and Ron returned from lunch to find Hermione impatiently tapping her fingers while staring into space, several balls of crumpled parchment resting in the dark fireplace.

Harry draped himself across the back of the couch Hermione sat on and peered at the blank piece of parchment she had been contemplating for the last twenty minutes. It remained blank and had probably been that way since she got back.

"Having some trouble with your. . .Transfiguration homework?" He asked with interest, prepared for the evil look she shot him. Grinning, he allowed himself to slip further over the couch, dropping neatly onto the cushion next to her.

"Of course not." Hermione snapped as she flipped the page of her text and narrowed her eyes in concentration. Harry watched as she chewed her lip and glanced in the direction of the window, her fingers tightening on the book she clutched.

Harry glanced over his shoulder at Ron and smiled, twirling his wand absently as he looked back and forth between the pair. Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, Harry placed his hands atop his head and spread his fingers, watching an evil gleam slip into the red head's eyes as he nodded in agreement. Rolling off the couch, Harry accepted Hermione's shove as he dragged himself in the direction of his dorm, winking at Ron as he passed the other wizard.

Pausing at the top of the stairs, he glanced back down and smiled as he saw Ron take the witches hands and place a light kiss upon each wrist. His words was too quiet for Harry to hear but the expression on Hermione's face was full of interest and longing.

Grinning he proceeded to the sixth year dorm, immediately heading towards his small section of the room. All of the beds had been made, wrinkles smoothed from the covers, missing pillowcases replaced, and the long curtains surrounding each bed pulled back and tied at the corner post. Shaking his head, he shuffled through the stack of clean clothes left on his desk and pulled out a comfortable pair of jeans and an overly large shirt. He yawned as he tossed the rest into the trunk at the end of the bed, dropping the lid on the mess.

Sneezing suddenly, he frowned and shook his head to clear it, surprised when Odin came rampaging to the surface. The Stag was none too impressed with their earlier antics and felt the need to remind Harry of it. Pushing the animal down, Harry hummed loudly as he shed his pajamas and dressed. The black shirt he wore hung off his small frame, making him appear little and underfed. He chuckled at his image and pulled on the jeans, freezing in mid motion when Ron came flying into the room.

"She said yes " He whooped, grabbing Harry by the shoulders and shaking him. Harry smiled as he internally tuned into Odin, listening to the Stag's urgent bellows. "I didn't think she'd agree but apparently Ginger has been badgering her all morning "

"Good job, Ron." Harry said, laughter in his voice as he watched his friend dance around the room. Buttoning his jeans, he grabbed his trainers and was about to jam his feet into them when he decided against wearing the shoes. Sliding them back under the bed, he tunneled his hands through his shaggy black mane and trailed Ron's bouncing form down the stairs.

Hermione stood impatiently at the bottom of the steps, one toe tapping as she looked at the watch around her wrist. "I'll set the timer when we get out there. We should have around three hours in our animagus forms before we have to return for dinner." Glancing up at them, she raised a curved eyebrow in silent question, nodding when Harry jiggled his foot and Ron patted his chest.

Hermione led the way to the portal, seeming more eager then the red head who was still bouncing on the balls of his feet. Trekking through the castle, the three Gryffindors received some odd looks from other houses. Of course it wasn't everyday one would have the chance to see Hermione practically skipping down the hall dragging Ron with Harry following sluggishly in his bare feet. As soon as they were outside, Ron and Hermione broke into a playful lope, laughing and calling encouragement to Harry.

Chuckling, Harry trotted slowly after the pair, heading vaguely in the direction of Hagrid's hut. Slinking into the shadows, the trio stopped and looked back over the lawns, eyes searching for anyone who might be watching them. Nodding in approval, Harry turned and led the way into the Forbidden Forest.

XxXxX

"They're up to something." Blaise murmured lazily, eyes locked on the three Gryffindors as they trotted across the schools lawn. He covered his mouth politely as he yawned, his dark hair dropping down to cover his eyes. The three Slytherins had retired to the school lawn, choosing a comfortable place by the lake to settle down and study. Pansy had brought one of the books she'd requested from the library, perching herself on the rich navy and silver blanket Blaise had dragged up from their dorm.

"Perhaps you could be a little more specific." Draco said, stretching out in the shade created by several tall trees. Rolling onto his stomach, he rested his chin on his arm as he tracked the movements of the three Gryffindors.

"I didn't think they'd be stupid enough to go out so soon after you warned Potter away from the forest." Pansy said quietly, turning a page of the book sitting on the grass before her. She sighed as Draco growled under his breath and made to climb to his feet.

Blaise threw an arm across the blondes legs, pinning him to the grass. "Mind your own business Draco." He warned, growling softly when he felt the other wizard's body shook with a quiet rolling snarl.

"He is my business." Draco responded, twisting his spine in a purely cattish movement and slipping from beneath the dark haired wizards arm. Stretching his arms to the sky, he arched his back and rolled his shoulders. Running a hand across his chest, he frowned at a small grass stain marring the pale material. "You better hope the house elves get this out."

"You have three shirts that look exactly like that one, I highly doubt you'll miss it." Blaise grumbled as he rose slowly. Extending a hand, he pulled Pansy to her feet, waiting impatiently for the witch to gather her stuff. The pair moved quickly after Draco, knowing the blonde was completely engrossed in his search for Potter. Blaise marveled at the smooth gliding gait Draco had begun, his feet seeming to float above the ground.

"They went this way." Pansy muttered, waving a hand at the bent stalks of grass and the light scuff marks in the dirt. The Forbidden forest stretched before them, the massive trees casting shadows over the vast expanse of grass along its edge. Draco trailed a hand over a tree trunk as he passed into the forest, pausing once to glance over his shoulder at the pair standing behind him.

"A hunting we shall go." He murmured playfully, smirking as Blaise rolled his eyes and Pansy huffed snobbishly. With a final look in the direction of the school, the three slunk deeper into the forest and vanished among the dark foliage.

XxXxX

Odin laid his ears back and aimed a kick at the wolf running circles around him. Grunting angrily, he took a few bounding strides before dropping his muzzle back to the lush grass and nibbling contentedly. His black coat shone blue in the shadows of the forest, the single white antler glistening like ivory. Much to his bemusement, the large red wolf followed him and danced just beyond his reach, pink tongue flopping around.

"Go away Ember." He grumbled, one hoof slamming against the earth in annoyance. Above them, small birds called happily, their shrill voices ringing through the woods. Flipping his tail, he moved forward, jerking his head up when a wet mouth locked around one of his dainty black ears.

"Come on Odin, play with me " Ember whined, his paws carrying him in a ever shrinking circle around the stag. His thick red coat bouncing with every step. Dark fur ran up his longs legs before melding with the strange coppery red hair. His long tail wagged furiously, black tipped ears twitching eagerly.

Heaving a deep sigh, the stag took another step, shaking his antlers in warning when the wolf drew to close. A thought ran through his mind and had him raising his head and peering at the wolf. "Do you know where Ginger went? Maybe you should go and find her, I'm sure she'd love to play with you."

Ember's ears perked and his blue eyes brightened, the tongue that had been dangling from the corner of his mouth vanished. "Ginger?" He asked, whirling around and glancing about the clearing. With an excited yip, the wolf plowed through a bush and disappeared.

Snorting in amusement, he took another mouthful of grass, raising his head and peering contemplatively around. Telepathic whispers ran through his head, the unhappy yelps of Ginger as her peace was disturbed by the brash and loud Ember. As the voices grew louder, he knew the pair were drawing closer to him, most likely Ginger would try and foist Ember back on him.

Spinning around, he leapt neatly over a small log, muscles pinioning as he plunged through the forest. He slowed when the whispers had faded completely but continued his solemn march. His dark hooves sank into the rich dirt, leaving a visible trail that even the most novice hunter could follow.

Odin dropped his antlered head as he pushed his way through concealing branches, emerging into a large clearing with a deep pool at its center. The waters were a dark blue fading to black near the middle. Extending his neck, he sniffed carefully. His senses spoke of the other animals that had visited the small pond throughout the night; thestrals, wolves, rabbits, and deer.

The sudden shriek of birds had his head jerking up, ears swivelling as they sought to locate the danger. He snorted unhappily and eased into the surrounding shadows, melting back into the waiting arms of the forest. A sharp pain spiked through his skull, sending him to his knees. The constant barrage of feelings splintered his mind. With a low bellow, Odin collapsed completely, the view before his eyes no longer his own. Above him, the birds screamed in fear and took flight, fleeing into the safety of the sky.

XxXxX

Beau loped through the Forbidden Forest, his keen senses keeping him on the trail of the black stag. He ignored the panting wolf trotting along behind him, its paws whispering against the earth as quietly as his own. His white coat gave him some advantage as they wove silently through the trees. Leaves brushed against his fur and branches upon the ground grasped at his underbelly. A raven shrieked unhappily at him, floating from tree to tree and heckling him. The white wolf snarled and snapped in warning at the bird, fangs gleaming as they slid past dark lips.

"Do you know where you're going?" Frost demanded, dropping back into place and flattening his ears against the black birds cries. The tiger lashed his tail in answer, the tip knocking the wolf lightly in the side of the head.

In the distance the shrill cry of a flock of birds had the tiger lengthening his stride, ears and whiskers cocked as they strived to pick up whatever had startled the birds into flight. Straining their senses, both were able to pick up the faintest of groans, the rolling sounds continuous and pain filled.. The tiger was sprinting suddenly, his heavily muscled legs carrying him closer to his dark king. With an uneasy yowl, the cat burst into a dense thicket, the picture before them brining him to a sudden halt.

The black stag lay sprawled on the forest floor, legs thrashing against the ground. His neck was tensed, muscles quivering under the silky coat. Veins running across the animals delicate face were visible while every choppy breath exposed the pink of his nostrils. Pained grunts escaped the stag as his head jerked, the whites of his eyes exposed as the emeralds rolled wildly.

"That's Harry?" Frost whispered, eyes wide as he tucked his tail between his legs. The tiger rumbled softly and took a careful step closer, nose testing the air for anything that could possibly endanger him. Each slow step took him closer to the dark stag, ears swivelling as he listened for danger. A line of blood drifted down the gleaming ivory antler, collecting on the tip of one tine before falling into the slowly growing puddle.

"Do something." Beau demanded imperiously, hovering anxiously next to the quivering stag. The wolf opened his muzzle to reply but was cut off by a sharp bark. Beyond the black stag, bushes shook and several leaves settled to the ground as a red muzzle pushed through the concealing shrubbery. A lean wolf slunk into the clearing, his muzzle held close to his chest as his blue eyes searched the clearing. Rumbling quietly, the animal crept closer to the stag, eyes focused on the ghostly tiger standing over the shaking form.

Beau shifted his weight carefully, curling his lips back and growling at the wolf's threatening posture. Hissing in warning, he sprang over the stag and landed nimbly before the wolf, one paw swiping the air just beyond the dark nose. Beau flinched as something impacted lightly with his side, needle thin teeth burying themselves deep in his shoulder. A white blur swept past him and slammed into the red wolf, sending both writhing forms hurtling into the shadows. Spinning around, Beau rumbled at the small vixen standing warily next to the stags head. Stalking forward when she refused to move away from his stag, he froze with one paw above the earth when Harry stilled completely.

XxXxX

Odin groaned and stretched his neck out, feeling the tired and strained muscles protest the movement. His vision was foggy, the small form before him a colourful blob of brown. Rolling carefully, he sat up and folded his forelegs close to his chest, ears flipping as they searched the forest for some sound audible to only his ears. The low snarls and crashes coming from beyond his vision had him twisting his head only to find himself peering deeply into pale eyes of ice. The white tiger rumbled softly, tail flipping as he followed Odin's movement.

"Ember." Odin called loudly, the low bugle bringing silence to the clearing. A sharp crack and an angered yelp announced the red wolfs entrance, his thick coat marred with streaks of mud and blood. Panting heavily, the wolf trotted forward, his tail hanging limply behind him. "Trouble in Diagon Alley, you must warn the Grey Beard."

"How bad?" Ember questioned, his ears swivelling as he listened to the white wolf scramble from the thicket of bracken he'd been tossed into.

"Don't really know, we couldn't see it," murmured the stag. In a powerful movement, Odin regained his hooves, head hanging as he gathered his strength. The red wolf gave a deep booming bark as he shot beneath the stags belly, hurtling into the forest in the vague direction of Hogwarts. His crowned head rose sharply as another wolf shot under his nose, the once snowy fur stained a muddy brown.

Hearing a purring growl, he tipped his head and looked at the tiger circling him, it's eyes searching the darkness of the forest for further threat.

"Odin, what do you want us to do?" Ginger yelped, bouncing around between the stag and the tiger, her eyes darting back and forth between the pair. Feeling uncomfortably safe under the animals guard, the black stag shook his head and took a long stride, testing his aching legs. With a bemused growl, the tiger matched the stags steps, ignoring the vixens growl of warning. An unhappy chittering drew the gaze of all three, leaving them staring at the small mink resting on its hindquarters, forepaws planted on hips.

Snickering in amusement, Odin eyed the blue eyed tiger as the animal responded to the minks cries. A low baying howl rose in the distance, piercing the low chirps of the brown furred mink. Swinging his head, Odin parted his muzzle and bellowed in response, ignoring the vixens startled yip. Breaking into a slow lope, the black stag tested himself, preparing for the moment he leapt into full gait. White and black fur streaked along beside him, commandeering the vixens place.

Emerald eyes met blue ice seconds before the stag broke into a full bounding gallop, knowing neither the vixen nor the mink would be able to keep the speed needed to remain with them. The volley of angered barks had both pinning their ears back as they crashed through the forest, the stags long legs enabling him to leap over fallen logs and around thick brush moments before impact. Blowing hard, he slitted one eye and watched the tigers long easy strides, the sheer athleticism of the cat allowing him to surpass the weakened stag. Branches snagged at the thick fur of their coats, tearing and pulling small hunks free.

Breathing heavily, Odin slid to a halt at the edge of the schools grounds, preparing himself for the quick rush of magic as he made the change. He gave one last look at the tiger panting next to him, and then he changed.

XxXxX

Draco shivered and brushed at his robes, ridding himself of some of the mud clinging to the rich black material. He narrowed his eyes at the form trotting towards the school, raven hair bobbing with every jolting step. Jogging to catch up, he grabbed Harry's shoulder and swung him around. The Gryffindor shrugged his grip off and whirled back around, resuming his fast march towards the school. Hissing in anger, he ignored Beau's excitement and stalked after the other wizard. Skipping several steps onto his way into the castle, he lunged and grabbed the back of Harry's school robes, tossing him lightly against one of the walls before pinning him in place.

"What the hell was that Harry?" He snarled, snatching the fist aimed in the general direction of his face. Both wizards were panting heavily, from both the run through the forest and the rush of adrenaline that had carried them into the school.

"Mind your own business Draco " Harry snapped, wriggling against the tenacious grip the blonde had on his robes.

"I told you this morning and I'll tell you again: you are my business Harry." Draco replied sharply, slamming him against the wall for emphasis. Gryffindor and Slytherin shoved at each other, neither gaining nor losing ground or space. Mouths hanging open as they gasped for breath, Harry leaned back against the wall with Draco leaning lightly against him.

"Is there a problem here, Malfoy? Potter?" Professor Snape questioned quietly, arms crossed over his chest as he observed the pair. Jerking apart, both wizards stared in open mouthed shock at the professor who had seemingly slunk up on them without their having noticed.

Draco opened and closed his mouth before hitching a finger in Harry's direction, "He . . . " Snapping his mouth closed with a click, he glanced at Harry and noticed the firmly shut mouth and the muscle jumping in his cheek. "Tripped."

A dark eyebrow rose slowly as Professor Snape titled his head back, considering the pair with a thoughtful look in his eye. "Imagine that."

"I was running and there was a corner and I tripped and collided with Malfoy." Harry stuttered, wincing at the finger Draco buried in his ribs.

"One of you is lying," Snape began, uncrossing his arms and leaning closer to the Gryffindor. "And since I can't figure out which one of you it is . . . I'll see you both in detention tomorrow night at seven. The Headmaster wishes to see you in his office immediately Potter." Smiling cruelly, he whirled around and stalked down the hall, robes snapping behind him.

"Thanks a lot Harry." Draco growled releasing the Gryffindor and narrowing his eyes as the other wizard snorted before jerking about and stomping down the hall. "We'll talk about this later " He bellowed at Harry's retreating back.

XxXxX

Ginger stalked along the rutted trail, tail fluffed out and sweeping above the muck. She ignored the continuous hisses and shrilling chirps coming from behind her. Large pointed ears had been flattened to her head, the dark tips quivering in unspoken rage. The communication device was no longer working, Odin and Ember having passed beyond the range of the small charms.

A tug on her tail, drew her to a halt. Bright eyes narrowing as she slowly turned and leveled an evil look on the mink clinging to the long fur. Drawing her lips back, she growled softly and attempted to roll her eyes as the mink chittered unhappily. Whirling back around, she continued on her way, practically dragging the other animagus with her. They would pay for this, she snarled softly, both of them. She would see too it.

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A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing.

NinjaoftheDarkness - lol, that's awesome. Though I must say you will miss some awesome parties.


	11. One Big Herd

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

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Chapter 10 - One Big Herd**

Draco snarled angrily as he stormed around his bedroom, bare feet padding silently across the stone floor. The confrontation with Harry had left him angry and slightly disconcerted. Hissing again, he ignored Beau's happy rumbles and focused on his own thoughts. Tipping his head, he turned slowly to face the door and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for the door to open before his friend.

A light knock heralded the arrival of Blaise. Dark curly hair was mussed and damp with sweat, face flushed red from the exertion of trailing Ron through the forest. Stepping into the room, he closed the door and leaned against it tiredly. Running a hand over his face, he ignored Draco's questioning growl and plodded towards the softly crackling fire.

"Well?" Draco demanded as he followed Blaise across the room, rumbling impatiently when the other wizard took his time settling into one of the chairs before the hearth. Curling a lip, he threw one arm across a corner of the mantle and drummed his fingers on the stone.

Blaise snorted and straightened his slacks, frowning at a wrinkle that marred the dark material. "Let's just both be happy Weasley has a very shrill voice when he's terrified." He stated, rolling his eyes when Draco raised a pale eyebrow. "He ran all the way from the Forbidden Forest to Dumbledore's office."

"You managed to overhear what was said?" Draco asked, fingers keeping their steady rhythm as his eyes narrowed.

Nodding, Blaise huffed a deep breath and ran both hands over his head, sighing sad acceptance over his tangled hair. "We ran as wolves all the way into the castle. He didn't stop to change, just kept running like the devil was chasing him. We were both lucky we weren't seen." He murmured softly, slumping deeper into the chair, a tanned hand rose to brush against his throat. "We were almost to the headmasters office, when he turned on me. He hit me in the side and knocked me back into one of the alcoves along the hall. I though that damn Gryffindor was going to kill me."

"Blaise, would you get on with the damn story." Draco hissed, fingers clenching around the smooth stone as he attempted to restrain himself from pounding the information out of his friend.

Holding his hands up in calming manner, Blaise growled in warning. He would not be intimidated by the stronger Slytherin. "He changed back to his human form and stepped out of the alcove just as several Ravenclaws passed by, which meant I had to wait until the whole group was further down the hall before emerging. I made it to the stairs leading up to the Headmasters office just as the Gargoyle was starting to slide back into place. The door was open a crack and Weasley was already starting to explain his reason for being there, which was actually quite amusing."

Draco leaned forward eagerly, teeth raking at his upper lip. "What happened then?"

"Weasley said something about Potter and a vision about a Death Eater attack. Dumbledore seemed to understand his babbling because he immediately flooed some other wizard." Waving a hand in exasperation, he tunneled his fingers back through his hair as his mind worked over the conversation he'd overheard. "From there it was mostly questions, half of which Weasley didn't know the answer to."

"You learned nothing else?" Draco whispered in disbelief, tipping his head as he loosed his grip on the mantle.

"No. It was very strange, like Dumbledore didn't want Weasley to know what was going to happen. He seemed highly concerned about Potter though, asked several questions regarding his safety and well being." Blaise said, stretching slowly and rising from his chair. Yawning widely, he headed towards the door but paused with his hand on the door knob. "Have you seen Pansy?"

Draco dropped into the chair Blaise had abandoned, peering thoughtfully into the fire as he rubbed his chin. Shaking his head absently, he crossed his ankles and glanced at the clock above the mantle; they had missed dinner but it was still to early to go to bed.

"Blaise!"

The angered bellow had both wizards flinching and whirling to face the door. Shuddering, Draco allowed himself to slip lower in his chair and peered anxiously at the portal as the distant roar was repeated. Blaise flipped the lock and scurried towards Draco, whimpering when the doorknob was shaken forcefully.

"Zabini! Malfoy! Do you know what I'm going to do to the pair of you when I get in there? How dare you both run off and leave me standing in the middle of the damn forest with Granger!" Pansy shrieked from just out the door, one hand pounding the wood as the other continued to rattle the door knob.

Draco flew from his seat and tore the door open, grabbing a handful of the witches dark robe and yanking her into the room. Slamming the door closed, he pinned her against the wood and growled softly. "Do you wish to expose us to the entire House?" He hissed, the words spoken softly against her cheek. Beau rose up inside him, baring his fangs in silent agreement with Draco's words. A quiet growl from behind the still pair had Draco releasing Pansy.

"Let her go." Blaise growled, lips curled up to expose his teeth. He snarled again when Draco hissed, taking a slow step towards him.

"Who holds your leash Blaise?" Draco asked softly, skirting around the wizard as he made his way back to the warmth of the fire. His words broke the tension that had settled upon the room, reminding Pansy of exactly why they were arguing.

Her eyes narrowed and her index finger rose slowly, pointing at Draco in accusation. "You left me with Granger so you could race Potter back to the castle! I'll never understand you! First you're arguing with him then you're purring over his every action." The finger changed targets quickly, teeth gritting as she narrowed in on her boyfriend. "And you! You just had to chase Weasley!"

"Pansy, luv-" Blaise began, smiling and extending a hand towards the witch in unspoken apology. His hand was slapped down before it made contact.

"Don't you 'Pansy luv' me, you testosterone driven troll! It's going to take more then some sweet words to make me forget this one. I want chocolate. And poetry! Chocolate and poetry everyday for the next week!" Putting her nose in the air, Pansy twirled around and swanned from the room.

"And I ask again Blaise, who holds your leash?" Draco purred softly, settling himself gracefully into the chair before the fire. He smiled as the other wizard cursed loudly before storming from room; most likely in pursuit of his girlfriend.

No wonder his life was so screwed up, he thought. With friends like Pansy and Blaise the drama never seemed to end. He smiled to himself as his sensitive ears picked up the argument occurring between the lovers. Closing his eyes, he allowed his head to drop back against the chair, waiting patiently for Beau to join him. The tiger glided into his mind cautiously, unaware of the welcome he would receive. Holding his breath, Draco began to carefully comb his mind through the cats memories, looking for anything vital he may have misplaced during the change. His eyes opened as he glared into the fire, feeling Beaus anger rise over the image of the writhing stag. They both wanted answers and they wanted them soon.

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Harry lay on his bed, fingers gently messaging his temples as he watched Ron pace back and forth beside hum. Emerald eyes were slit as he fought back the burning pain caused from the rays of light falling through the open window. His head pounded and his vision seemed to blur every so often.

"Would you please sit down Ron? You're making me dizzy." Harry whispered, dropping his forearm across his aching eyes.

Ron immediately froze, halting like a deer in the headlights. "Sorry mate, wasn't thinking." Waving his hand, Harry gestured Ron towards his own bed, smiling when the red head settled himself on the edge of the mattress, one foot bouncing in agitation. "How far did Zabini follow you?"

"All the way to Dumbledore's door; he's fast." There was the slightest hint of admiration in Ron's voice as he stared at Harry in thought. "I'm surprised I was able to throw him earlier, tossed him right into a thorn patch yet he still chased me all the way up to the castle."

Harry chuckled, feeling pride rush to the surface of his mind. He frowned when he realized it wasn't his own. Odin rose in his head, the stags many pronged crown held gracefully as the animal murmured his pride over his herds actions. Harry groaned loudly at the stags chatter, jerking Ron's attention back to him.

"Sure you're okay, Harry? Maybe you should go down and see Madame Pomfrey." Ron suggested, standing and beginning to pace anxiously again, his attention darting around the room. He turned suddenly and tipped his head, listening carefully before gliding forward to stand between Harry and the closed door.

Harry shifted uneasily but remained silent, eyes locked on the portal and the wizard who guarded it. When the door swung open under their cautious eyes, both heaved deep sighs of relief and flopped backwards onto their beds.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at their actions, entering the room and closing the door. Leaning against a bedpost, she narrowed her eyes. "The next time you leave me alone with Parkinson I'll hunt you both down." She didn't end the threat, choosing to leave the ending open to interpretation by the over active imaginations of the wizards lying before her.

Ron smiled apologetically and beckoned her closer, accepting the proffered hand. He dragged her to sit on the bed next to him, placing a light kiss on the back of her hand before nodding towards Harry. "Past. Present, or future?" He whispered, leaning into the fingers stroking his matted hair.

"Hard to tell really. Voldemort was taking pleasure in it though; people were running in fear." Harry mumbled, closing his eyes again, the fingers of one hand knotting in the blankets beneath him.

"We've done all we can, Harry." Hermione murmured in assurance, trying to smile bravely as she stared down into her boyfriends eyes. "There's nothing else we can do but wait. It's in the Order's hands now."

Harry sighed before sitting up, tipping his head and chewing his lower lip in thought. "It was strange though; I've never been able to see what Voldemort's doing during the day. Generally stuff like this only happens when I'm sleeping."

"Odin's mind is that of an animal, Harry. He was not built to repel magick's or fight mental battles. A stag is simply a stag; it's mind and heart are open to the others around it." Hermione reminded them, smiling at the snort of indignation both wizards gave. She tugged on Ron's hair and grinned at Harry, the smile vanishing at the strange look on his face.

"Odin is more then a stag, Hermione. He is a king among animals." Harry attempted to explain, hands fluttering before him. Rolling off the bed, he pushed the window between the beds open and gestured to the forest beyond the rolling lawn of Hogwarts. "Whether our home is here or there, it's still our job to protect those living within the area."

"You can't save everyone Harry." Hermione pointed out, eyebrows drawn down as she ignored Ron's attempts to free himself. "Even the strongest witches and wizards can't save those who don't want to be saved."

Nodding his head in agreement with her words, he sat down on the edge of his desk, eyes glazing over slightly as he peered out the window. "I can try, Hermione." His words were spoken softly, a mere whisper carried on the evening breeze.

Ron rolled his eyes, before pushing on the arm wrapped around his neck. He growled softly, when Hermione flashed her teeth at him in warning. "I'm hungry." He whined plaintively, pouting out his lower lip and sniffling loudly.

"Aren't you always?" Hermione grumbled, pushing him away and standing slowly. She frowned when Harry remained silent, eyes half closed as he peered at the setting sun on the horizon. "Are you sure you're okay Harry?"

"I'm fine. You know you don't always need to mother me Hermione, right?" Harry responded, head tilting slightly while his gaze remained locked on the fading red light.

Hermione sighed and waved Ron on his way, knowing he'd bring both her and Harry back some small treat from the kitchens. Moving towards Harry, she dropped her chin onto the top of his head and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Tell us what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong." Harry muttered, stiffening under the witch's touch.

"Don't lie to us. We know something is wrong." She murmured loudly, giving him a light squeeze in hopes of relaxing him a little.

Snorting at the words of the witch and knowing he was dealing with the vixen, Harry had no choice but to answer. "Earlier, Odin referred to Zabini as a member of the herd. Later he did the same thing for Ron."

Hermione burst into laughter at the embarrassed words, allowing Harry to shove her away. Settling back on the edge of Ron's bed, she wiped a tear of mirth away. "That's natural Harry. Stags and deer live in herds, just like wolves live in packs. We're the closest thing Odin has ever had to a family. Ron and Zabini probably see each other as opposition for alpha of their pack, which would explain the constant fighting between them."

"Tigers and foxes are solitary animals, explain that one." Harry demanded, his eyes finally leaving the red sky to focus on the curly haired witch.

"Ginger and I may prefer to be alone but we've accepted the fact that we're under your protection. We choose to see you as a larger older brother rather then a stag." Hermione offered easily, rising to brush at her robes as she padded towards the door. "The tiger I can't really explain. Any other large cat would have eaten you by now, perhaps he just likes you." With a shrug of her shoulders, Hermione disappeared around the door.

"Like to eat me." Harry called loudly after her retreating footsteps, rolling his eyes before turning back to the open window. The sun had vanished behind the Forbidden Forest, streaks of pale pink clinging to the slowly darkening sky. Breathing in the crisp air, Harry decided it was in his best interest to finish his assignment for tomorrow. Then again, one always thought better after having a nice long nap.

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A/N: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed!

NinjaoftheDarkness – lol, totally know where you're coming from there, I live in the middle of nowhere as well . . .but you gotta admit it does have its perks. Besides there's no party better then a bush party!  
LandUnderWave – aw, you made me blush.  
rayama – Blaise is white purely because I wanted him to be white. Then again, a white wolf always seems to look stronger and prouder then its pack mates so I figured it kinda fit with the personality I was trying to enforce.


	12. Passions and Detention

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

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Chapter 11 – Passions and Detention

Harry rolled his eyes as he trailed Hermione and Ron from the Great Hall, book bag slipping off his shoulder. The halls were crowded with students, all brandishing books and quills as they pushed their way towards class. Hiking his bag up, he shortened his stride and allowed several students to separate him from the arguing couple. He didn't even want to know what the newest fight was about, only that he remained an observer rather then a participant. Nodding to several fourth year Gryffindors, he frowned as his book bag began its slow descent down his arm again.

"Harry! Hurry up or we'll be late." Hermione called over her shoulder, one eyebrow raised in question. Heaving a sigh, he jogged to catch up with the pair, slowing when he was right behind them.

"I wonder what Hagrid will have for us today." Ron mumbled, one hand pushing at the red hair that was hanging in his eyes. All three were quiet for a moment before shuddering in remembrance of past accidents incurred during the half-giants class. Harry chuckled before looking beyond Ron, eyes inexplicably falling upon Draco's platinum crown. Feeling his mouth go dry, he glanced away from the Slytherin. The light conversation continued as they made their way to the Care of Magical Creatures classroom.

The outside classroom was just inside the Forbidden Forest. A large clearing with several stone benches set up around the edges. The trio wandered into the area slowly, joining the large group of Gryffindors already assembled on the far side of the forest room. Placing their bags on one of the benches, Harry and Ron joined Dean and Seamus in a small game of catch.

A high-pitched screech had everyone slapping their hands over their ears and searching for the source of the noise. With an unhappy groan, Ron elbowed Harry and indicated Hargid's approaching back. The half giant entered the clearing slowly, hauling on a thick rope as he dragged his newest pet into the clearing. Throwing its head back, the Griffin opened its wings and flapped angrily. Golden feathers covered the animal's head and neck before melding with a soft coat of pale blonde fur. Its lion like tail lashed the air while scaled talons bit into the dirt. Clacking its beak, the Griffin pranced forward and raised its wings, hissing in a threatening manner.

"There's nothing to be afraid of." Shouted Hagrid, tugging on the long rope attached to the beasts collar. The Griffin parted its beak and shrilled loudly, tipping its head and raising massive wings. "Maestro here would ne'er hurt anyone."

"Oh dear." Hermione whispered, glancing at Harry whose face had gone white. The amassed Slytherins and Gryffindors took a collected step backwards, all eyes resting on the creature being dragged towards them. "Um Hagrid? Are you sure he's safe?"

"Of course Hermione." Hagrid assured, reaching out a large hand to pat the animal's head. The massive beast eyed the nearing hand with interest, head tipping to the side. In a calculated movement, the Griffin snaked its neck out and grabbed at Hargid's hand. Harry winced as Hagrid yelped in pain, his loud bellow startling Maestro. Screaming in fear, the Griffin reared up and tried to launch itself into the air, wings beating tenaciously. As the large animal cart wheeled at the end of its lead, Hagrid was slowly dragged across the sandy ring. Maestro shrilled, wings flapping hard enough to stir the dirt and leaves on nearby trees.

Harry took a sliding step back, faintly hearing Hermione scream his name. As Hagrid yelled at everyone to move back, Harry remained frozen in place, overwhelmed by a sudden rush of fear. Panic clouded his mind, driving him to remain still in hopes of avoiding the animal's interest. Taking a deep breath, he took another step backwards.

Light glistened off pale feathers, each wing stroke showing the strength and power the griffin commanded. With every beat of its wings, the Griffin gained altitude, talons clutching empty air as it hovered at the end of the leash.

Odin came slamming into Harry's thoughts, bringing with him the stag's instinct to flee. Internally rolling his eyes and prancing nervously, the dark animal gave every sign that they should run. Focusing on that sole thought, Harry swung around and leaped - right into the open arms of Draco Malfoy. The Slytherin yanked him close and tightened his grip, growling loudly as the griffins talons raked the air inches above their heads.

Snarling angrily, the blonde locked his arms protectively around Harry and dragged him backwards. Odin calmed immediately, all thoughts of flight easing from his mind. Shuddering slightly, Harry allowed himself to be pushed behind the Slytherin. His eyes sought out Hermione and Ron but found the pair, as well as most of the other students, absent. Sheltered in the blondes shadow, he returned his gaze to the drama unfolding before him, freezing when Draco took a step forward.

His eyes searched the blondes for any sign of recognition but found only the glowing orbs of the tiger. Draco's pale silvery hair had darkening streaks running from the roots and his growls had become deeper, forewarning that the tiger inside him was very unhappy with the situation. As the griffin screeched and fluttered in warning, Draco responded with a loud hiss.

Closing his eyes, Harry wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist and twisted, pulling him away from the angered animal. Thrusting Draco into the shrubbery, Harry leapt after him and pinned him ruthlessly to a tree. Pulling back his hand, he closed his eyes then slapped the Slytherin.

"That hurt Potter."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Harry opened one eye and peered into the lucid orbs of Draco Malfoy. Letting his hands slide down the blonde's arms, he began to back away only to find himself suddenly pressed up against a tree. Turning his face, he winced as bark bit into his skin.

"Let go Malfoy." Harry warned quietly, feeling the press of the blonde against his back. Hearing Draco's soft chuckle, he allowed himself to relax under the blonde's weight. A finger came into his view, the perfect nail caressing the scraped skin of his cheek. Shuddering slightly at the touch, Harry gave the minimum effort he could to escape the blondes grasp.

"I don't know Harry, it doesn't really feel like you want me to let you go." Draco breathed, his breath warm against the nape of Harry's neck. Stiffening, Harry muttered and tried to push himself off the tree, stilling when the Slytherins arms wrapped around his waist.

"Draco?" Harry whispered, nails biting into the bark of the tree. Resting his forehead against the tree, he bit his lip as the blondes hands rubbed his abdomen through the shirt. "Are you going to eat me?"

"Me thinks you would be sweet upon my tongue Harry." Draco murmured, chuckling lightly as he ran his tongue over the edge of the raven-haired wizards ear. Purring softly, he flexed his fingers and smiled as Harry moaned quietly. He rubbed his cheek against Harry's, delighting in the shudders racking the other wizard's body.

"Class?" Harry whimpered, nails raking the bark of the tree as he writhed in the blonde's arms. His head rested against the tree, body limp within Draco's grip, absorbing each caress and nip he was dealt. Running his tongue over suddenly dry lips, he tried to bring himself back to reality. "We'll be late for second class."

Draco rumbled unhappily at the words, his teeth locking around Harry's earlobe in warning. His nose quivered at the smell of chocolate, making him drool around the flesh he was sucking on. "I suppose I should let you go." He crooned, fingers massaging Harry's stomach seductively. Both wizards stilled as a voice called loudly, demanding one of them respond.

Clearing his throat, Harry pushed Draco's arms down. "Coming Hermione." He called hoarsely, hands working to straighten his shirt. Glancing over his shoulder, he blushed as Draco raised a pale eyebrow, running his tongue over his lips playfully.

"I'll see you in detention." He muttered quietly, pale eyes glowing as Harry backed away from him. Smiling, Draco turned and stalked from their hiding place. Sinking back against the tree, Harry closed his eyes and sighed, fingers smoothing his tousled locks. Hermione's voice brought him back, forcing him to stand straight and creep back out into the clearing with some semblance of normalcy.

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked again, eyeing him across the Gryffindor table. Harry sighed and nodded again, fork gliding through the mashed potatoes he had been molding for the last twenty minutes. The day had flown by, each class seeming to blur with the one before it. He was sure he wouldn't remember anything from any of his classes, his mind still with Draco in the small forest clearing.

"I'm fine, Hermione." He muttered, glancing at the head table where the professors were sitting, talking quietly amongst themselves. He jerked his gaze back to his plate as Snape's black eyes fastened on him. "I just remembered I have detention with Snape."

Ron groaned at Harry's words, fork hovering before his mouth as he took a moment of frantic shoveling to speak. "That sucks! It's all Malfoy's fault too. You watch, he won't lift a finger for the whole detention."

"Snape rarely gives his Slytherins detention, just be happy he included Malfoy." Hermione warned, the lilt in her voice warning of her disapproval. Shaking her head, she went back to her dinner.

Harry rolled his eyes and slammed his fork into the cold potatoes, wincing as they splattered. "Nothing happened Hermione. He saved me, that's all."

"It didn't look like nothing Harry. Your hair was mussed and the tip of your ear was red." Hermione muttered into the book she had placed between them, flipping the page in a nonchalant manner. Her eyes shot over the top of the book, one eyebrow raised as she looked at Ron. The red head was chuckling into his cup, obviously finding the fight entertaining. "You could at least agree with me Ronald."

"Harry can do what he wants with whoever he wants Hermione." Ron warned, placing his cup back on the table. Wiping his mouth on his wrist, he glanced down the table and paled.

"Mister Potter." Professor Snape growled, halting directly behind Harry and shooting the rest of the students an evil glare. "Your detention begins in ten minutes, if you're late you'll be spending tomorrow night with me as well." Sneering down at Ron, he spun on the heel of his boot and marched from the Great Hall, black cloak lashing the air behind him.

Moaning, Harry gave his potatoes one last slap before pushing away from the table. "I'll see you later." He mumbled over his shoulder as he trudged after the Potions Master.

* * *

The dungeon classroom was dark and cold, the only noise coming from the burbling cauldron sitting in the corner. Professor Snape was sitting at his desk, black orbs focused on the pair of students standing innocently before him. Shuffling his papers, he glanced up as Draco sat down on the edge of one of the desks.

"If one of you will tell me what was going on in the hall yesterday, I'll let you both leave early." Severus murmured, folding his hands atop the pile of papers he had been marking. He was met with raised eyebrows and blank faces, neither Gryffindor or Slytherin student said anything.

"Perhaps, Draco, you would tell me what you were doing in that particular hall?" He stated, trying to lead his star pupil towards a possible answer.

"I was walking." Draco replied, raising one hand and admiring the perfect curve of his manicured nails. He glanced over at Harry, smirking at the startled look on his face.

"Hm, and you, Potter? What were you doing so far from your House?" Snape growled, picking up the quill resting next to his hand and dipping it into the inkpot.

"I was walking?" Harry offered, hands balling into fists as he stared at the floor.

"I'm sure you were." Snarled Snape as he rose from his chair, collecting his marking and his inkpot, he headed towards his office. "The two of you will make the potion on the board. When you've completed it to my expectations you may leave."

* * *

Draco chuckled as Harry wilted against the desk behind him, eyes going to the black board. Smirking at the simplicity of the brew they were expected to make, he rose and headed for the cupboard where Snape kept the schools potion ingredients.

"Coming Potter? Or do you plan on sleeping here tonight?" He asked softy as he began to collect the ingredients they would require.

"Shut up Malfoy." Harry muttered, rising and heading to the back of the room where the cauldrons were kept. Curling a lip at the clanking, he tore two from their hangers and dragged them to a worktable, collapsing on one of the stools.

"I suppose if I want to get out of here tonight I'll have to do all of the work." Draco stated, his eyes resting on Harry's slumped form. Emerald eyes rose slowly and met pale blue.

"I suppose you will." Harry agreed sullenly, crossing his arms and leaning against the table behind him. Ignoring Draco's humorous snort, he watched the blonde's fingers quickly separate the different ingredients. His eyes followed each graceful movement of the Draco's hands as they worked knife and pestle. Grinding and cutting in a careless manner that displayed the Slytherins talent for brewing.

"Stir this." Draco ordered, fingers brushing Harry's as he pushed the wooden rod into the raven-haired wizards hands. Harry watched as the blonde carefully added the ingredients, fingers hovering as he dropped several pieces of Dragon Scale into the brew.

"You're actually good at this." Harry murmured, blushing as Draco chuckled. Running a hand through his hair, Harry looked past his bangs as eyed the Slytherin. "Thank you Draco . . .for what you did today."

Draco peered down at Harry, giving a quick look at the board as he pried the stir stick from the other wizards grip. "We're done here." He said quietly, smiling as Harry moaned in relief. As Harry fled for the door, Draco couldn't help but call out to him. "Harry? About this morning . . .it was my pleasure." Grinning devilishly, he extinguished the small flame and headed towards his godfathers office, pushing down the urge to chase his wayward Gryffindor.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review!

Black Roses of Death – This is a Draco/Harry slash fic.  
Chilaro – We'll get there eventually.  
LandUnderWave – lol, I think they deserve our pity at the very least.  
NinjaoftheDarkness – yeah, but you have to be careful cause some night's its so quiet you can hear anything said for miles.


	13. Swinging Tigers

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

**

* * *

Chapter 12 - Swinging Tigers **

Harry stared at his plate with sleepy eyes, groaning when Ron flopped onto the bench next to him. Mumbling something unintelligible, the red head began to fill his own plate. Leaning against each other slightly, they both stared at their plates in an uninterested fashion.

"Did either of you finish the Potion's assignment?" Hermione asked, eyebrow rising as she took a place on the bench across from them. Sighing heavily, she shook her head in disappointment when the two wizards shot her tired glares. "Did you at least try and start them?"

Harry blinked and reached for his bag, withdrawing his crumpled parchment and slapping it onto the table between them. Turning his attention back to the plate of cold food, he ignored Hermione's further attempts to quiz him.

"How was detention?" Ron asked around a fork full of scrambled eggs. Munching loudly, he slid a slice of toast off Harry's plate and onto his own. "You did all the work didn't you? Malfoy probably sat there and did his nails or something even less useful."

Harry snorted and pushed his plate away, reaching over Ron's food to grab a large bowl of fresh fruit. Picking through the sticky mess, he helped himself to several pieces of pineapple. "Actually, I sat there and did nothing and Draco did all the work." He corrected, his eyes traveling past Hermione to rest on the Slytherin table.

Ron choked on his mouthful, eyes wide as he stared at Harry. Clearing his throat, he glanced at Hermione who was watching the raven-haired wizard in interest. "You shouldn't joke about that mate. For a moment I thought you were serious."

Rolling emerald eyes, Harry turned his attention back to the fruit on his plate. Licking juice off his fingers, he shot an unobtrusive glance at the Slytherin table. He froze when his eyes locked with the pale orbs of Draco. "Who said I was joking?" He whispered as the blonde lowered his lashes to shield his eyes before dropping his gaze to the bowl before him.

"Harry," Hermione broke out. "The day a Slytherin does anything during one of Snape's detentions is the day Voldemort puts on a tutu and performs Swan Lake in Diagon Alley." The sudden flood of owls into the hall halted the conversation. Everyone pausing as the birds swept down to the tables and waited impatiently to be relieved of their burdens. Harry smiled as Hedwig dropped from the air and landed nimbly on his shoulder. Untying the rolled paper tied to her leg, he handed it to Ron before offering the white owl a small piece of sausage.

"'Death Eater Attack in Diagon Alley'." Ron read, hands smoothing the creases from the paper. He pushed the Daily Prophet towards Hermione and allowed her to take up reading, raising a hand and petting Hedwig.

"It says that they apparated into Diagon Alley during the middle of the afternoon. Three wizards were killed and two stores were completely destroyed. Auror's believe the attack was used to cover up a robbery that took place further down the alley at approximately the same time." Hermione glanced over the paper and looked at Harry, folding the paper and setting it back on the table.

Harry frowned and slid a hand under Hedwig's talons, lifting her up and tossing her lightly back into the air. With a hard flap of strong wings, she joined the procession of owls exiting the hall. "What do you think they were after?"

"Depends on what shop they broke into." Ron said quietly, placing his elbows on the table and leaning forward. "There are so many shops in Diagon Alley you'd have to narrow it down to the type of store before trying to guess what was taken."

Nodding in agreement, Hermione pulled a quill and a small piece of parchment from her bag. "Write a note to your dad, I'll owl it on my way down to the dungeons." She instructed, watching carefully as her boyfriend followed her orders. Grabbing her stuff, she accepted the note from Ron and turned to leave, stopping a few strides from the table. "Don't be late to Potions!"

"I hate Potions." Harry muttered, eyes locked on the now empty Slytherin table. Standing, he grabbed his crumpled half completed potion's assignment and trudged towards the door.

Ron scooped his bag from the floor and trailed after his friend, miserably muttering 'me too' before sighing and trotting to catch up with the other Gryffindor.

XxXxX

Draco curled a lip in disgust, eyes locked on the newspaper article Pansy had handed him. He flicked his gaze to the front of the class room, noting Snape's current position before beginning to read. Sighing, he sat back and rubbed a hand over his eyes.

"Well?" Pansy hissed, eyes darting around the room in a manner suspiciously like that of Gem.

Shaking his head, he pushed the paper back to her and straightened in his chair. Flipping open his text, he pretended to read while his mind ran over the facts. With an unhappy murmur, Beau floated into his mind. The tiger was bored which was never a good thing. Draco locked his fingers around the edge of the desk when his eyes traveled the room, managing to land on the door just as Potter and pals entered. "I have no idea what they may have been after."

"It's weird though," Blaise whispered, his own eyes following the trio as they made their way to an empty table. "Generally the Daily Prophet would have said which store was broken into." As Snape slammed his wand against the black board, a hush fell across the class. His dark eyes traversed the room, pausing on certain individuals who seemed oblivious to his presence.

"Are you up to going out tonight?" Pansy murmured, quill flying as she recorded the instructions from the board. Her mouth snapped shut when Snape's gaze flew towards their table.

Draco snorted but nodded, ignoring the narrow eyed look his godfather was shooting him. Beau flittered at the back of his mind, the tiger questioning the stags presence on tonight's outing. Shaking his head in annoyance, Draco pressed the animal down and concentrated on Snape's drawling voice. Heaven knows how he'd make it through the entire day if the tiger was already bothering him two hours into it.

XxXxX

Draco threw his head back and stretched slowly, feeling the pull on his muscles as he balanced on the balls of his feet. It was a great night to be out and it was really too bad the quidditch pitch was already booked. Sighing at the thought of Hufflepuffs practicing, he skirted along the edge of the lawn. The grass was cool between his toes as he stood in the shadows waiting for Pansy and Blaise to arrive. Pulling the watch from his pocket, he peered at the time before rolling his eyes and looking over his shoulder. They were ten minutes late and counting.

Looking up at the school, he tapped one foot before looking into the forest behind him. Shaking his head, he slipped into the welcoming arms of the forest and allowed the change to sweep over him. Blaise and Pansy would be able to find him in the forest, assuming they made it out.

Shaking his entire body, the tiger inhaled the cool evening air and stretched. Gliding deeper into the forest, Beau stalked along, his paws flexing neatly with every step he took. With the moon following its course across the dark sky, the white tiger began his hunt.

XxXxX

Beau hissed angrily and lashed his tail, pale eyes locked on the small creature growling at him. Snarling, he turned and glided into the concealing shadows, glancing back to eye the dangerous creature that he'd literally stumbled upon. Rumbling softly to himself, he yawned widely and paced further into the forest. The bracelet around his leg remained silent, telling him that neither Frost nor Gem had yet to make it into the forest.

The large white tiger paused suddenly, whiskers quivering as his nose picked up the faint smell of sweat. Lowering himself to a crouch, his nose hovered above the ground as he sorted through the smells. His pupils dilated in fear as his hackles rose slowly, the smell was scarily fresh. The scent of horse and men so close it could only mean one thing. Centaurs had passed this way. Growling softly, he stalked into some denser shrubbery. The sudden flow of magic through his body had the tiger heaving a sigh of relief. In the distance a wolf bayed loudly, its voice rising and falling away.

"_You left without us!"_ The voice whispered through his mind, making him snort in amusement. A distant rumble had his ears swivelling and sent him slinking into deeper shadows. The sudden snap and whoosh had him roaring in surprise as a net closed around him and sent him shooting upwards. Swinging lightly back and forth, the tiger growled quietly and struggled against the rough ropes.

"_I apologize, now if the two of you could find me and get me down it would be much appreciated."_ Beau growled over the telepathic link, paws scrabbling for purchase on the ropes. The tinkle of bells had him freezing, eyes searching the darkness above him for the source. Tied to the swinging rope were several little bells, jingling merrily as the net swung back and forth beneath the tigers weight.

"_What happened?"_ Frost demanded, picking up the urgency straining the white tigers mind.

"_Net."_ Beau rumbled angrily, lying perfectly still. The tinkling slowed as the rope net came to a stop, the tiger slumping uncomfortably against the trap.

"_We're on our way."_ Gem yelped frantically, the worry in her voice causing the massive white tiger to rumble in agreement. The distant thunder grew closer, making the tigers ears flatten against his skull. Resting his head on his forepaws, he waited for the arrival of either his friends or the centaurs.

* * *

Harry rolled his eyes and trotted down the steps to Hagrid's hut. Ron and Hermione were following him slowly, holding hands as they whispered back and forth. Shaking his head, he paused on the step before Hargids and knocked loudly. Turning around he looked up at the night sky, admiring the moons pale crescent. He frowned when the small hut behind him remained dark. 

"Hagrid!" He called, fist hammering on the door again. Sighing in irritation, he hopped off the step and looked over at the approaching forms of his best friends. "He's not here."

"That's strange." Ron said, wrapping an arm around Hermione's waist.

Hermione nodded and looked around. "He said he'd be here yesterday." She muttered, moving towards one of the dark windows. Raising a hand to block the reflection, she peered into the darkened interior. "I wonder where he could be."

"Oh well." Harry mumbled, running a hand through his hair he glanced around. Odin came whispering into his mind, the stags words causing a smirk to creep across his face. "You know. . . we are close to the Forbidden Forest." He hinted, gesturing at the shadowed trees behind him.

"Harry no." Hermione said. The witch frowned as Ron grinned and gave Harry a thumbs up. "Neither of you finished the potions assignment for this morning and you probably haven't even started todays. The least you can do is try."

"Come on, Hermione." Ron pleaded, pulling away to stand next to Harry. Pouting, he threw his arm around the other wizards shoulder and gave his saddest look. "We both promise to finish our assignments as soon as we get back. Just one quick run then we'll settle down to work."

Hermione shuffled in place, looking between the pair. She knew they wouldn't give up until she relented. "Fine but it had better be quick." She pushed, one finger shaking before her in admonishment. Chuckling happily, the wizards grabbed her hands and dragged her around the dark hut into the forest. Somewhere within the forest a wolf called, his voice a strong thread in the nights song.

XxXxX

Odin shook his head and grunted, pinning his ears back at the wolf dancing just beyond his reach. Tossing his antlers, he lipped at the green grass under his muzzle and stomped a hoof in agitation. A rumble in the distant had him raising his head and sniffing at the nights breeze.

Ears swivelled as the animal sought the sound, snorting unhappily at the smell creeping into the clearing. Dropping his head again, he ignored the wolf standing beyond him and took a mouthful of grass. A piercing wail had his head jerking up, eyes widening as the red wolf shot past him into the forest.

"_Ember!"_ Odin bellowed, taking several dancing steps after his friend. Sighing, he looked down at the brown vixen lying in the grass. "_I suppose I should go after him."_ He muttered, tossing his tined crown and sighing.

With an unhappy grunt, he charged after the wolf. The forest flew by him as he raced through the darkness, hooves pummeling the ground. Snorting heavily, he leapt over a log and strained against the branches raking at his heaving sides.

* * *

Beau snarled as he stared at the centaurs standing in the thickly treed area. Their coats glistened with sweat as they observed his writhing form. Hissing, he struggled against the net, ropes rubbing his sides raw as he tried to free himself. One of the centaurs hefted a long spear, moving lightly across the clearing to where he hung. A loud bark had the centaur prancing back, spear lowering as a white wolf erupted into the clearing. Snapping its jaws in warning, Frost peered up at the tiger, dark eyes searching for a way to free his friend. 

"Strange." A pale coated centaur murmured, eyeing the interaction between the animals. The tiger growled again, bells jingling as he tried to push himself into a better position. Dark coat glittering, another centaur moved closer to the frothing wolf, spear held before him to ward the snarling animal off.

"_Get me down!"_ Beau hissed, one paw sliding between the ropes causing him to slip deeper into the nets hold.

Frost growled and took a few bounding steps forward, saliva spraying the ground as he snapped air. His tongue hung from the corner of his mouth as he panted in desperation, eyes searching for a way to free the tiger. Raising his head he called, the howl loud in the silent clearing. Dropping his muzzle, he stalked a half circle before the thrashing tiger, ears pinned to his head. A centaur pranced forward and raised his spear, leveling it on the frothing wolf. Frost dodged the sharp tip and locked his fangs around the wooden shaft snarling as he shook his head.

The centaur reared up, hooves lashing the air above the wolf's head. A volley of sharp snarls heralded the arrival of another wolf. Ember bounced into the clearing and leapt at the rearing centaur without thought, fangs closing around a waving arm. The centaur let out a frightened yell, loosing the spear and grabbing the wolf by the ruff of the neck. With a sharp tug, the red wolf was pulled free and tossed across the clearing. Growling, both wolves circled under the swinging net, ears flattening and mouths hanging open to reveal sharp teeth.

"What the hell?" A centaur called out, skittering nervously as they all searched the darkness for the rest of the wolf pack. It was in an explosion of green leaves that the dark stag came into the small battle, antlers dragging at the offending trees above him. With an elegant snort, his graceful head was raised, ears swivelling delicately.

A thick coated centaur stepped forward gracefully, eyes resting on the stag. Shaking his head, the stag bellowed and danced forward, lowering the rack of prongs in silent threat. Holding his hands out, the centaur backed up and exchanged a look with several others. The wolves snarled angrily, prancing around the stag with light paws. In quiet agreement, the centaurs turned and melted back into the forest.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Frost glanced up at Beau. "_Are you okay?"_ He asked, ears twitching at the sound of approaching hooves. The black stag tipped his head back and glared unhappily at the swinging tiger.

"_Fine."_ Beau mumbled huffily, ignoring the look of concern on the dark animals face. The creak of the rope had all three animals leaping from beneath the net, watching in stunned fascination as the rope trap swung slowly before crashing to the ground.

With a twittered greeting, a mink popped into the clearing, hopping over to the still tiger. "_So sorry."_ Gem mumbled, small paws patting at the large tigers head.

"_Well what did you think was going to happen?"_ Beau grumbled as he freed himself from tangle of ropes. Shaking his head, he flexed his body and whimpered at the ache spreading slowly up his body. "_I've been embarrassed for life."_

"_It really wasn't that bad."_ Frost mumbled, glancing at the red wolf sitting beside the black stag. Both stag and wolf seemed confused over the silent interaction but perfectly at ease standing so close to the group of Slytherins.

"_For you."_ Snarled Beau, shaking his head he stalked past the stag and wolf, seeming unconcerned as both fell into step behind him. "_I'll never live this down."_

"_It's not like they can tell anyone."_ Gem reminded them, bouncing along practically under the stag. Her small frame moved along close to the ground, concealed in the shadows from any owls out hunting.

* * *

The school came into view, glowing with the light of many burning candles. The small group stopped and peered up at the castle, all wondering who would be the first to change. A tingle of magic rushed past them all and had them glancing at the brown haired witch standing in the shadows, one foot tapping the ground angrily.

"Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley." Hermione bit out, ignoring the stags annoyed grunt. Shaking his antlers, the stag made to protest but found one of his antlers caught in a tight grip and his head dragged down. "Do not argue with me."

"Hermione." Ron groaned as he brushed at his clothes. His face reddened as he glanced down at the three other animagi watching the exchange with interest. A finger was held up in warning as the Gryffindor witch tried to shake the stags head, managing only to annoy the dark animal.

"Always the spoilsport eh, Granger?" Draco purred, hands on his hips as he smirked at the Gryffindors. In a magical tingle, Blaise and Pansy rose to stand on either side of the blonde.

Hermione frowned and released the stags antler, turning to face the three Slytherins. "Perhaps you should mind your own business, Malfoy!" She snapped, whirling around when a hand was placed on her shoulder in warning.

Harry sighed and shook his head, raising a hand and brushing at his hair. "Can we not do this now?" He demanded on a tired exhalation. Holding up a hand to stop the immediate responses, he turned his gaze to Draco. "I would like to talk to you."

Draco tipped his head thoughtfully, eyeing the trio. Nodding his head slowly, he flicked his fingers for the other wizard to follow him and backed towards the forest. Halting within a small grove of trees, he folded his arms and waited expectantly for Harry to begin.

Glancing around the clearing, Harry nodded at the blonde choice and began to pace back and forth. He paused with his back to Draco, one hand fiddling with the leaves on the tree before him. "What do you know about the Death Eater attack?" He asked finally, fingers tightening at the Slytherins snort of amusement.

"I am not privy to such information." Draco muttered dryly, chuckling pleasantly at the thought. Shaking his head, he strode towards Harry. Stopping right behind the other wizard, he blew out and smirked when Harry yelped at the warm air on the nape of his neck. "None of us really know what's going on."

Sighing, Harry nodded stiffly and turned, eyes widening at how close Draco was. "Do you promise that you are in no way involved or connected with what happened in Diagon Alley?"

Draco's face turned serious, pale eyes glittering as he stared at the Gryffindor. Slowly nodding, Draco extended a hand and grabbed the raven-haired wizard, pulling him closer by the front of his shirt. "I promise that we are not connected with the Death Eaters." He breathed against Harry's face. Harry nodded shakily and gulped deeply, closing his eyes when Draco trailed a cool finger down his cheek. "In the future Potter, don't ever question me."

Harry jerked away and stared at the Slytherins back, watching as the blonde vanished beyond the tree line. He stood there staring after Draco until Hermione and Ron scurried into the clearing. Their faces softening with relief as soon as they saw him standing there.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Ron asked, hands balling into fists as he looked in the direction the Slytherins had vanished.

"He said they didn't know about the attack." He whispered, pushing Hermione's hand away from his forehead. A cool wind picked up, rustling the leaves of the trees and sending the grass straining against its pull.

The pair looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Do you believe they didn't know about it?" Hermione questioned, eyes wide as she peered into the sightless green eyes.

"I don't know." Harry whispered, looking up into the sky where the moon glowed brightly. "I really don't know."

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review! 

Lady Bit – lol, generally I end up dragging my stories out, even when I start with a chapter plan.  
NinjaoftheDarkness – LOL! Let's see the last time the cops were at my house… ah yes, my brother and his buddies got caught by the crazy lady down the road illegally riding their dirt bikes on the road. But seriously, that was one of the most hilarious stories I've heard in while.


	14. Curfews and Children's Games

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

* * *

Chapter 13 - Curfews and Children's Games

Curtains were pulled closed against the morning light and blankets were drawn over heads in the sixth year Gryffindor boys dorms. The steady pulsing beat of a muffled alarm clock one of the few sounds breaking the silence. Well, that and the low curse words as one of the young wizards dug through his trunk in an effort to find something he'd misplaced.

"Harry? Harry!" Dean hissed overly loud, grabbing the raven-haired wizard by the shoulder and shaking him ruthlessly. "Have you seen my pants?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Harry pulled away from Dean and rolled over. One eye slid open and glared at the wizard leaning over his bed. "Dean, do you know what time it is?" Harry asked crankily, reaching past his curtains and patting the night table in search of his glasses.

Snorting, Dean tugged aside the cloak and towel draped over the anxiously beeping alarm clock and tossed it at Harry. "After breakfast." He said with a smirk, leaping back when Harry's eyes widened and he shot up in bed, eyes locked on the numbers cheerfully flashing at him.

"Ron! Get up!" He roared, struggling out from under his mountain of blankets. Swinging one foot from beneath the mass he stumbled out of bed and caught his toe on one of the sheets wrapped around his other leg. Closing his eyes, he yelped in pain when his bare knees slammed into the hard floor. Hissing, he opened his eyes and discovered his face was now level with Dean's boxer covered crotch. Snapping his eyes closed again he snarled unhappily. "Put some pants on Dean!"

"I can't find them." Dean muttered sulkily, crossing his arms over his chest and rubbing the floor with the toes of one foot.

Rolling his eyes, Harry stood up and rounded his bed. Grabbing the end of Ron's blankets, he tugged sharply and just about flew forward when the redhead pulled back viciously. Yanking on the sheets, he turned to look at Dean who was standing in the middle of the room looking around like he was lost. "How do you lose your pants Dean? You have like ten pairs of slacks acceptable for class." Harry demanded, leaning backwards and pulling sharply. He gasped when Ron let go and he found himself sitting on the floor with a pile of blankets in his lap.

"I need my lucky pants, Harry!" Dean explained, extending a hand and helping Harry to his feet. Ron whimpered and buried his head under his pillow, curling up into a ball at the top of the bed. "I have a test in Herbology and I can't write it without my lucky pants."

"Ron! Get up!" Harry yelled loudly, pulling his wardrobe open and withdrawing the clothes he'd need for the day. Tossing them on his bed, he turned around and glared at the unmoving ball that was Ron. "When did you wear them last?"

"Saturday." Dean murmured thoughtfully, scratching the back of his head. Withdrawing his wand, Harry aimed it at Ron and loudly began the incantation of a spell. The redheads terrified cry and sudden movement caused Harry to pause and watch in satisfaction as his friend flew off the bed and dove for cover.

Peering over the bed, Ron narrowed his eyes at Harry before glancing at Dean. "You can borrow my lucky socks." He offered helpfully, pulling a pair of dirty socks from under his bed and holding them up for inspection.

"I suppose, but that's just not the same." Dean mumbled morosely, wrinkling his nose at the drifting smell. Harry pulled on his pants and gestured at Ron to do the same. The door flew open and Hermione erupted into the room, Daily Prophet held before her face.

"Have you seen today's paper?" The witch said as she glanced over the newspaper she clutched. Face reddening in shock, she gasped before whirling around and staring at the open door. "Put some pants on Dean!"

"But Hermione-" Dean began, stopping when Harry and Ron began shaking their heads and waving at him.

Swinging around, Hermione leveled her wand and cast a spell. Watching as pants appeared on the defeated wizard, she turned her attention to Ron and Harry. Nose wrinkling, she stared in shock at the grubby socks Ron held aloft. "Merlin, I can't believe men." She muttered, wand rising to point at the socks. Ignoring Ron's cry, she waved her wand and smiled as the brown socks blurred before whitening. "Get dressed. I'll wait for you downstairs and you better hurry or we'll all be late." Flouncing from the room, she slammed the door.

"My lucky socks." Ron mourned, tossing the now unlucky clothing to the floor and glaring at it. Harry shoved his feet into his shoes at the same time he was jamming his Charms books into his bag. "You should be happy you have your lucky boxers as backup." He pointed out, tossing his loaded bag on one of the beds and lacing his shoes. Nodding in defeat, Ron finished doing his pants up and yanked the already buttoned shirt over his head in an effort to save time.

"You know, these pants look exactly like my lucky ones." Dean said, grabbing his bag and waving goodbye as he left the room.

"Imagine that." Harry muttered, grabbing his robe and throwing it over his arm as he hurried down the stairs to where Hermione waited impatiently. Ron stumbled along behind him, doing his tie up as he grumbled over the loss of his lucky socks.

Staring at them, Hermione held the paper up and frowned, gaze shifting to Harry. "How did you sleep last night Harry?" She asked, stepping through the portrait hole after Ron.

Raising an eyebrow, Harry skipped down the steps and paused on the landing to wait for Hermione. "Fine, why?" He questioned, accepting the paper she shoved into his hands. The picture in the center of the page had his eyes darting to the title of the article. "'Death Eater's Strike Again'".

Nodding, Hermione pulled her Daily Prophet from his hands and hurried down the hall. The trio slid into the room and claimed a table at the back of the room. Immediately unpacking their supplies before turning their attention to the front of the class.

Seeing that, the professor was reading over something, Harry tapped the paper and leaned closer to Hermione. "Where did it happen?" He whispered, eyes searching the opposite side of the class where the Hufflepuffs waited patiently.

"Some little wizarding town in the middle of nowhere." Hermione responded quietly, deftly writing the date and chapter title at the top of her parchment. "They killed one witch. Her family said they took an ancient family heirloom or something like that. The Ministry put a ban on the publication of what was stolen."

"Why would they do that?" Ron asked, doodling in the center of his parchment while ignoring the annoyed look Hermione was shooting him.

"That's obvious, Ron. They don't want us knowing what's being stolen so the rest of the wizarding world doesn't panic." Hermione murmured, holding a hand up when the professor moved to the front of the class and began to address the students.

* * *

Draco stretched lazily and pulled the doors of his wardrobe open, pushing aside hangers thoughtfully as he examined each article of clothing hanging within. He tipped his head at the first light knock on his door, pausing with a hand on a deep blue shirt. Murmured whispers and increased banging had him shaking his head and shooting a glare at the door before withdrawing the shirt and hanging it off the back of his desk chair. Pansy's voice pierced the thick wooden door as she yelled his name and hammered angrily on the wood. The sudden bellow of his name had him stalking to the door and pulling it open, standing in the center of the opened doorway in his bathrobe.

"Do you to enjoy embarrassing yourselves or was this performance for my enjoyment only?" He asked sweetly, stepping out into the hall and pulling the door half closed behind him.

Snorting in disgust, Pansy slapped her rolled paper against his chest. Shoving him aside, she barged into his room and placed herself in one of the chairs before the fire. "Look at the front page." She ordered, crossing her legs and placing her hands calmly on her knees.

Raising an eyebrow at her behaviour, he unrolled the paper and read the main article carefully. Shaking his head in disgust, he threw the paper on his bed and went back to his wardrobe. "Two attacks in less then three days and a publication ban." Draco muttered, pulling a pair of dark pants from the wardrobe. Looking at Pansy, he gestured at one of his sheets and waited patiently as she sighed and waved her wand. As the bed sheet hung from ceiling to floor, Draco collected his clothes and stepped behind the impromptu curtain.

"Generally by now the Daily Prophet would have managed to find a way around the publication ban." Blaise mumbled, rereading the article. He grabbed the robe Draco threw around the floating sheet and tossed it onto the bed. "What do you think's happening?"

Fully dressed, Draco emerged from behind the curtain. "Organized chaos. Many attacks and robberies so the more significant ones are lost in the mass. The ministry will be running around and pulling loose strings in hopes the ball will unravel."

Pansy already held his packed bag and was practically hopping from foot to foot as she stood by the door. "We're going to be late for Transfiguration," she warned.

Shrugging, Draco accepted his bag and strode from the room; Pansy and Blaise falling in to either side of him. "I still don't know what the main purpose is. They have to have a goal. A target of some sort that they're working towards."

"It could be another potion or a cursed object." Blaise offered, swinging the wall open so Draco could pass through ahead of him. "He's looking for anything and everything that he thinks might help him defeat Potter."

"True." Accepted Draco, lengthening his stride and glancing at his watch to see exactly how late they were going to be. Shifting his bag, he looked at Pansy who had a text book open in her hands. "What do you think?"

"At this point its too early to say. I mean some little wizarding town has almost nothing in common with Diagon Alley. You can't even begin to figure out the possible pattern." Pansy murmured, leading the way into the classroom. The Ravenclaws already seated shot them annoyed glares as they waited with their quills hovering over blank parchment.

Curling his lip, Draco sank into a seat at one of the empty tables in the back of the room. Pulling his books out, he arranged them neatly before looking around for the Professor. In a flurry of robes, Professor McGonagall stepped out of her office, eyes locked on a piece of parchment she held.

"Good morning class," She said. "For any of you who haven't read today's newspaper or skipped breakfast, all professors have been asked to speak with their first class about what's been going on beyond the walls of Hogwarts."

Pansy elbowed Draco, and raised a delicate eyebrow. "Five knuts says restrictions are being placed on us for our 'safety'." She whispered, offering him her open hand.

Draco shook his head and pushed her hand down, leaning closer so he could respond without the professor noticing. "I'm a Malfoy, Pansy. We only gamble with our lives, never our money."

Clearing her throat, McGonagall shot a disapproving glare at the back table before seating herself on the edge of her desk. "For obvious reasons, Hogsmeade weekends have been suspended unless you're otherwise informed. The Headmaster would rather all of you spend your weekends close to the castle where safety can be easily provided. Quidditch will also be affected due to a curfew being imposed by the Ministry on all wizarding schools. All students must be within the castle by 7 pm which means the unusually late games will be rescheduled to Saturday or Sunday afternoon."

The Slytherins erupted into loud boos and unhappy hisses at this announcement. An early curfew was possibly the second worst thing that could be done to a young adult. Draco glanced at Pansy and Blaise who were both staring at him with wide eyes. Shrugging his shoulders, Draco pondered the next few weeks. They would all be closely watched, any strange behaviour remarked upon and monitored. "We'll never be free again." He whispered.

"We won't possibly be able to get out to run at night if all the doors have been locked and secured." Pansy whispered, one hand tightening dangerously around the quill she held.

"I know that you're all very unhappy with these new rules but there's nothing we can do about it until everything calms down." Professor McGonagall called, hands held out in a gesture for peace. "While I'm sure you all want to complain about this I'm afraid I have a lesson to teach. Please save your comments and criticisms for your own time." With those final words, she waved her wand at the blackboard and began to teach. Slumping in their seats, the students all stared unhappily ahead.

* * *

Harry dropped onto the bench before Gryffindor table and slung his bag under his seat. Ron's actions closely followed Harry's as he plopped down and stared at the food before them. The hall was strangely quiet, most students staring steadfast at their plates and shooting occasional glares at the Head Table.

"I can't believe this! A curfew, preposterous!" Hermione stated, slamming a book down on the table before collapsing onto the bench across from the pair. Pulling a bowl towards her, she carefully considered her options before ladling some steaming tomato soup into it.

"At least they didn't cancel Quidditch completely." Dean offered as he sat down next to Hermione. He quickly withdrew his hand when Hermione threatened him with an upraised spoon. Grabbing a knife he buttered a cracker and glanced at the tables contents. "I mean it could be worse."

"How could it get any worse?" Ron asked, sliding a slice of apple off the plate sitting in front of him. "They're treating us like a bunch of first years. Next thing you know we'll all have to hold hands when we're going between classes."

Harry, Dean, and Seamus both broke into snickers at the redheads words. "Don't think of it as a bad thing, guys. Just think of all the things we'll get away with in the halls. Football, frisbee, catch; they can't exactly tell us to go outside and play. Nor can they refuse us play time." Seamus said, dropping his bag onto the floor and straddling the bench next to Harry.

"Put that way," Harry murmured evilly as he exchanged a look with Ron. "Who's up for a game of tag?"

Sighing, Hermione blew on the soup in her spoon in an effort to cool it. Opening her book, she pretended she had no idea what the wizards around her were planning. "I'll end up playing anyway." She grumbled, shooting Dean a glare as his elbow crept every closer to her bowl of soup. Sighing, she continued to read as the rest of Gryffindor table became involved in a heated debate about children's games.

XxXxX

Last class and dinner had ended moments ago, leaving students with very little time to play outside - which was why the Gryffindor Common Room was packed as Harry and Hermione carefully explained the rules of Capture the Flag.

"Each team gets a flag which they have to hide and the other team is expected to find. Anyone caught in 'enemy' territory will be placed in that teams prison until the game is over or they're freed by another member of their team." Harry explained, waving a red flag and a gold flag as he explained.

"We decided to split the house up by gender; witches against wizards for the first round." Hermione said, reaching out and grabbing the red flag from Harry's fingers. "Since Hogwarts has become our new playground, we've split it into two territories. The guys have from the Great Hall down to the Dungeons while girls have from the Great Hall up."

"If you run into any professors, send them up here to our common room. Hermione and I concocted a lovely notice which we'll place just outside our portrait. Since wizards have the lower half of the school we'll leave now." Harry called over the excited hum of voices, waving at Hermione as he led his half of the house from the Common Room. "Twenty minutes to hide the flags and pick prison locations!" He yelled over his shoulder, grinning as Ron snatched the gold flag from his fingers and ran down the stairs with a whoop.

XxXxX

Harry slid through the shadows in the dungeons searching carefully for any witches creeping around inside wizard territory. He smirked when he heard the quiet ringing of boots and hushed whispers moving towards him. Ducking behind a small statue, he held his breath as the noise grew louder. Tensing, he waited until he saw the first figure before leaping out of his hiding spot and throwing his arms around the individual. His triumphant cheer was cut short as he stared into the dark eyes of Blaise Zabini.

"Finally lost it, Harry?" Draco asked smoothly from behind him, snickering at the look on the raven-haired wizards face.

Harry lowered his arms and took several steps back, blushing at the amused looks on the faces of the three Slytherins standing in front of him. Clearing his throat, he rubbed the back of his neck. "We're playing Capture the Flag." He muttered, face going bright red when Blaise cleared his throat in an attempt not to laugh.

"Reduced to playing children's games, how demeaning." Draco purred, eyes running the length of Harry's body. The blonde ignored the elbow Pansy delivered firmly to his side and began to circle the Gryffindor in a slightly predatory way.

Harry began to spin so he could keep his eyes on the other wizard, taking his time in replying. "It may be demeaning but it will certainly get on the professors nerves after they're run down in the hall a few times." His reply caused the Slytherins to chuckle and nod in agreement. "When was the last time you played, Draco?" Harry murmured, raising an eyebrow.

"It has been a long time, hasn't it Draco?" Blaise asked cheerfully, grinning at the dirty look his friend shot him. "What about a little challenge Potter? Slytherin versus Gryffindor: losers have to wear the other houses colours for a day?"

The pounding of feet had all four of them turning to peer up the hall. Ron jogged up the small group, placing his hands on his knees as he panted. "They found our flag Harry. We've lost." He reported, immediately going back to huffing.

"Damn." Harry said loudly, running fingers through his hair. Ignoring the amused chuckles, he patted Ron on the back. Glancing at Draco, he considered the blondes earlier offer. "You still up to playing children's games Malfoy?"

Draco considered Harry's words and glanced at Blaise who smirked and bobbed his head slightly. "We're on Harry. Slytherin will meet Gryffindor in the entrance hall at six o'clock tomorrow night." Thus said, Draco nodded good night to the pair of Gryffindors and led the way down the hall.

"What'd you do?" Ron asked, finally standing up straight. He raised an eyebrow when Harry looked at him and grinned.

"Why I challenged my favourite Slytherin to a game of Capture the Flag." Harry murmured, throwing an arm around Ron's shoulders and turning him around. He tossed a look over his shoulder as he dragged the redhead down the hall, ducking his head as he caught a pair of shining grey eyes watching them leave. "It'll be fun; I promise."

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry for the late post but I've had a busy week.

SilverJadlyn – lol, I'll try to make Harry a little braver in future chapters.  
NinjaoftheDarkness – lol, once again you made my day with your review. Ah, the last place I got kicked out of was pub . . . I only wish I could remember it. You did the right thing; lol I can't believe they kicked you out.  
lintila – Sometimes its hard to separate the two. I want to make sure this story flows fairly well so I don't want to get into the whole bold means this and underline means that type of thing. I'll try and sort myself out and hope for the best.


	15. Let the Games Begin

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

**

* * *

Chapter 14 - Let the Games Begin**

Harry rolled his eyes and accepted the piece of parchment Hermione jammed into his hands. The witch then put her nose in the air and flounced into the classroom ahead of him. Shrugging his shoulders, Ron gave him a consolatory slap on the back and trailed after his girlfriend, leaving Harry standing alone in the hall. Sighing, he folded the parchment and slid it into his book bag.

Hermione, after hearing about the Slytherins challenge, had insisted upon writing out several rules to make sure the game was played fairly. The rest of Gryffindor hadn't seen the point of making the rules formal. It was assumed the Slytherins would cheat so why bother?

Shuffling nervously, he moved into the room and glanced around. To the left, the Gryffindors watched him with quiet interest, grinning as he swung to face the smirking Slytherins. His face reddened as Draco pulled out the empty chair next to him and patted the seat in silent invitation. Head hanging, he shuffled over and dumped his bag on the ground next to the chair.

"Don't look so glum, Harry." Draco purred softly into his ear, sounding very much like a cat who had found the cream bowl left open on the table.

Mumbling under his breath, Harry jerked his book bag open and dragged his books out, slamming them down on the desk. Draco's snigger of amusement had him reddening again. "Shut up Malfoy." He grumbled, unfolding the parchment and sliding it toward the Slytherin. The blondes snort had him sighing and flipping one of his texts open, pretending he was more interested in the Great Dragon Wars. He tipped his head when the blonde withdrew a long feathered quill and pulled the parchment closer. "What are you doing?"

Draco ignored the hissed question and continued his writing. Sitting back to admire his contribution to Hermione's list, he allowed Harry to drag the parchment from under his quill. "I felt it lacked something." He murmured, glancing at the front of the class where the professor was organizing his books for the days class.

Harry's lips moved as he read the line Draco had added, jerking back with a horrified look on his face. "No way!" He yelped, slumping down in his seat when the professor looked up at him and frowned in disapproval.

"Why ever not?" Draco whispered, smirking as he fiddled with his quill. The terrified glint in Harry's eyes amused him but had Beau rising into his mind quickly. Shaking his large head, the tiger made his opinion known. Apparently the smell of fear wisping around the dark haired wizard was unacceptable.

"I absolutely refuse!" Harry bellowed, fingers tightening around the quill he clutched. His outburst had the entire class turning to look at him. Hermione's hiss of warning and Ron's grin had him cringing and narrowing his eyes on Draco. "I will not agree to this."

"Afraid you'll lose?" Draco murmured, eyes veiled by long lashes. He crossed his arms over his chest and focused on the front of the classroom, aware of Harry seething unhappily next to him. He bit down his triumphant smile when the Gryffindor slashed his name under Draco's addition and pushed the parchment away. Smiling in victory, Draco gracefully wrote his name next to Harry's before leaning closer to the raven-haired wizard. "That wasn't that hard, now was it?"

The professors voice covered Harry's growled answer. Smiling in contentment, Draco slid down in his seat and propped his boot heels on the back of Blaise's chair. Sulking, Harry crumpled the contract up and dropped it into his bag before dropping his forehead on his folded arms. Drawling on, the professor failed to notice the change in the classes seating plan.

XxXxX

Draco fixed the cuff on his black shirt and smiled at his smirking image. Dark jeans and a pair of comfortable trainers completed the ensemble. Nodding to Pansy and Blaise who were whispering back and forth upon his bed, he stalked from the room and down the hall into the Slytherin Common Room. Silence met his arrival. Draco glanced over his assembled army and smiled savagely, there was no way Gryffindor was going to beat them at a war game.

"Unfortunately," he began, "there are rules to every game. It was decided that no magic is allowed to be used. This means no curses, no charms, and no hexes. However, if they don't see you coming you may as well go ahead and use it."

Shaking her head and sighing, Pansy pushed Draco into his chair next to the blazing fire and took his place. "Granger and I split the school into three sections earlier: Slytherin territory, Gryffindor territory, and no-mans-land. These areas have been marked by strips of ribbon in the colours that we can relate to each area." Holding up three strands of ribbon, she made sure they all saw what she meant before tossing the green, red, and white ribbons onto the mantle. "The flags are a combination of our house colours and have a small symbol on both sides. Hide it well because as soon as its found the game is over."

Blaise raised his hand from his new place atop one of the study tables, making sure everyone was looking at him before beginning. "A small wager was placed upon the outcome of this game. If we lose we'll be stuck parading around in Gryffindor uniforms for the next two days."

Shaking his head and making a face, Draco held up the flag, waving it back and forth to gain the attention of the house. "Capture the flag starts officially in twenty minutes. We still need to hide the flag and pick our prison location." Immediately following his announcement, the entire house surged to their feet and began to argue over locations and suggestions. Smiling in pleasure, Draco leaned back and handed the flag over to Pansy. Eyes darting to the clock, he allowed Pansy and Blaise to set up the rest of the details while he pondered his contribution to the contract. Running his tongue over his lips, he reached into his mind where the tiger slept and woke him without remorse. He was, after all, a Slytherin and cheating had become second nature to him.

XxXxX

Harry shook his head and held his hands out before him. Shaking his head frantically, he waved aside the flag Hermione shoved at him. Frowning, she stepped back and crossed her arms. Ron sat on the back of the couch between Dean and Seamus, all three watching in amusement as Hermione glared at Harry.

"You said I could hide the flag Harry." Hermione argued, the red and gold cloth fluttering in her hand. Raising an eyebrow, she held the material out to him again. Eyeing the flag with distaste, Harry took another step back and glanced beyond her for help.

"It is a good idea, mate." Ron said, face reddening as he attempted to restrain his laughter. The elbow Dean jammed into his side lost him the battle. Giggling like a bunch of girls, the three wizards watched Harry shake his head in defeat.

Accepting the flag, Harry glared around the Common Room before storming upstairs towards the dorms. Tossing the flag aside, he tore into his trunk and pulled out a pair of dark jeans and a black t-shirt. Eyes locked on the lion smirking up at him, he slid the pants up his legs and dragged the shirt over his head. Scowling, he sank down beside his bed and pulled a worn pair of shoes from beneath the hanging sheets.

"It honestly isn't that bad mate." Ron offered as he flopped onto his bed and crossed his legs. Glancing at the clock, the red head shrugged his shoulders and pulled his wand from a pocket. "Besides, you have an additional bet riding on the outcome of this game. If I were in your place, it would already be hidden."

Sighing, Harry stood and stretched slowly. His ears picked up the loud buzz of voices rising from the Common Room. Wrapping his fingers around the flag, he trudged from the room behind Ron. Arriving downstairs just in time to hear the final words of Hermione's speech. Pushing through the crowd streaming towards the portal, Hermione halted next to the pair. A dark eyebrow was raised as she noticed the flag Harry still held. "We've set up our prison in one of the girls bathrooms on the fourth floor." She said, bending down to tie one her shoelaces.

Rubbing her hands together, she glanced at Ron. Gesturing the sulking raven-haired wizard towards the exit, she pulled her boyfriend back towards the fireplace. "Do you believe the Slytherins will cheat?" She whispered anxiously, looking over his shoulder to where Harry was playfully shoving Dean.

Ron snorted at the question before wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist. "Of course they will." He muttered, peering at the fire crackling happily behind her. Her indrawn breath had him rolling his eyes and pulling away from her.

Her eyebrows drawn together, the witch glanced up at him before drawing his head down towards her. "Do you think we should . . . ah, use any special powers we might have?" She asked quietly.

Gaping, Ron opened and closed his mouth. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he stood up all the way and looked down at her carefully. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked loudly, drawing out each word. Still in shock, he glanced over her head to where Harry was leaning next to the portal.

Wringing her hands, Hermione pulled away and looked over at Harry. "You saw Malfoy's addition to the contract. We can't lose." She hissed, still shaking her hands before her.

"Harry's a big boy, Hermione. He can take care of himself." Ron reminded her, looking at the clock hanging over the mantle. "The games gonna begin soon."

"I know but still-" She trailed off with a sigh. Shaking her head in disgust, she spun around and headed towards Harry. "Would you hide that already?!" She demanded as she passed him, one finger prodding the flag he still held.

Rolling his eyes, Ron joined Harry and watched as Hermione left the Common Room. Throwing an arm around the other wizards shoulder, he pulled him from the room. Outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry stashed the flag quickly while ignoring the grin on the redheads face. Reaching the bottom of the steps, he pushed Harry away from him and smiled. "You have to stay on defense duty."

Waving him away, Harry grumbled and stalked down one of the halls just beyond the stairs. Shaking his head unhappily, he continued down another staircase until he found a comfortable position to watch for Slytherins from

XxXxX

Beau crept along one of the halls and flashed a fanged grin. His whiskers twitched anxiously as his nose sought the scent he wanted. He flicked his tongue over his nose and trotted down a dark hallway, freezing at the sound of someone slinking through the shadows toward him. The Gryffindor slid by him without a glance, trotting further into Slytherin territory. Snarling softly, he continued on his way. Paws carrying him up stairs and down endless hallways as his nose carefully deciphered each smell wafting around him.

Beau paused at the light click of claws, eyes following the form of a wolf as it leapt nimbly down the stairs the cat had just crept up. Snuffling loudly, the red wolf swung its massive head around before trotting onwards. The wolfs sleek form was followed by a much smaller frame; the vixens fluffy coat waving as she trotted down the stairs.

"_Frost, the red wolf is moving into your territory."_ He warned, halting abruptly as the sweet smell of chocolate overwhelmed him. Ears cocked, he heard the pounding of footsteps and the loud shouts of several wizards and witches as they hurtled toward him. He watched in bemused fascination as a third year Slytherin was taken down by four Gryffindors, among them was Harry.

The dark-haired Gryffindor gave an order and stood with his hands on his hips as the squirming Slytherin was dragged away. Beau slid from his hiding spot and stepped into the center of the hall. Tail lashing and ears shifting as he watched emerald eyes lock on his form. Shuffling backwards, his prey nervously moved away from him. The white tiger purred happily, yawning as he trotted toward the Gryffindor.

"Damn it Draco, that's cheating!" Harry said loudly, glancing down the halls on either side of him as the tiger approached from the fore. An amused chuckle had him turning to glare at the blonde wizard.

"Like the Weasel isn't prancing around on four legs." Draco murmured sarcastically, swaggering forward to where Harry stood impatiently. "Now I'll be having your flag."

Sinking a hand into his hair, Harry glared at Draco before shaking his head in denial. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He stuttered nervously, eyes widening as the Slytherin continued his slow glide forward.

Smirking, Draco continued forward. "You and I both know that everyone has their own unique scent. Now either Granger's been wearing your underwear or that flag she was manhandling earlier is down your pants. I'll assume it's the last one." Draco stated calmly, muscles tensing as he watched the Gryffindor shift. "You can surrender the Gryffindor flag or I'll take it by force."

* * *

Professor McGonagall walked quietly down one of the halls, wand held before her as she searched the shadows for a slinking form. She paused and drew a deep breath as the darkness before her shifted. She sighed in relief when the potions professor stepped from the shadows, cloak floating behind him.

"Severus, I didn't think you'd still be up." The witch called, gathering her skirts and hurrying towards the tall wizard. Huffing quietly, she put a hand to her chest and looked up at the Potions Master. "I had several students tell me they saw a tiger in the school."

"Hm, did one of your seventh years projects get away from them?" He asked with as little interest as possible, dark robes sliding as he shifted.

"I don't know. I don't think so." Minerva murmured, brow drawn down as she thought deeply. Shaking her head, she sighed and straightened the hat she wore. "What are you doing up here?"

"A number of your house members were running around my dungeons. It seems Mister Malfoy and Mister Potter have decided to amuse themselves by using their houses as armies." Severus snarled, arms crossing over his chest in disgust. "I sent them back upstairs only to be informed a number of my own house were being held hostage in the girls bathroom on the fourth floor."

"Well, while you're on your way to negotiate for their surrender perhaps you should look for a tiger or some other creature that may have found it's way into the school." Minerva suggested, gathering her cloak around her as she hurried past him, wand tip glowing so she could see dispel all shadows.

Shaking his head, Severus continued on his way to the girls bathroom on the fourth floor, smiling at the thought of giving detention to several Gryffindors. Perhaps his night wasn't going to be as bad as he thought it was. Then again, his dungeon was most likely once again being over run by a bunch of yelling screaming Gryffindors.

* * *

Harry grinned and shrugged - right before he spun around and took off down the hall. Feet pounding and lungs heaving, he shot down one hall, aware of the Slytherin running behind him. Puffing for breath, he ran up a set of stairs and dove down a side hall. His ears picked up the eloquent curse words spouting from the wizard behind him. He was almost to freedom when the unexpected happened. Laying face down on the hall floor, he rolled over slowly and swore at the shoelace that had become undone.

"That was sad, Harry." Draco stated, kneeling next to the groaning Gryffindor. Rolling his eyes, the blonde threw a leg over Harry's thighs and straddled him before unhooking the button at the top of the jeans. "This means Slytherin wins. It also means I'll be seeing you on Saturday." He announced as he slid his hands into Harry's pants and began to fish around.

Squirming, Harry yelped and tried to pull away from the cool hands now roaming around inside his pants. His eyes were locked with the pale blue orbs half closed in concentration above him. Swearing, he tried to catch Draco's hands but froze when a loud cough broke the silence. Freezing, both wizards remained locked together on the floor as they listened to the boots shift inches from their heads.

"Mister Malfoy, would you please remove your hands from Mister Potter's pants?" Snape asked dryly, one hand still covering his eyes. The quiet whimper of embarrassment and the growl of indignation had him turning on his heel to stare down at the pair. "That wasn't really a question, Draco."

Sighing, Draco began to pull his hands from Harry's pants. As the pale fingers were withdrawn, they pulled with them the long red and gold Gryffindor flag. Still sitting astride Harry's thighs, Draco held the flag aloft and grinned. "We won."

"And what, Mister Malfoy, did you win?" Snape asked icily, his eyes still locked on his godson sitting atop his youngest nemesis.

"Capture the Flag: Slytherin versus Gryffindor." Draco purred triumphantly as he stood. Straightening the cuffs of his shirt, he watched with interest as a red faced Harry re-buttoned his pants.

"I see." Snape growled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I do hope you got something other then my detention out of this little game."

Harry and Draco exchanged a look before both of them rolled their eyes. Smiling, Draco ran the flag between his fingers and stared at Harry. "Losers have to wear the winner's colours." He informed the Potions professor, ignoring the sudden whitening of the older wizards face.

"Lovely." Snape grumbled, running a hand over his forehead. "I'll see you both tomorrow night in my classroom at seven." Turning around, Professor Snape stalked down the hall shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

Still grinning, Draco pulled a watch from his pocket and held it up for Harry to see. It was official curfew which meant both were out of their dorms after hours. "I'll see you tomorrow, Harry." Draco crooned, leaning closer to the Gryffindor. "And when I do, you'd best be sporting silver and green." Giving him a quick caress on the cheek, Draco practically skipped down the hall, red and gold flag streaming behind him.

XxXxX

Harry flopped onto his bed and stared up at the canopy, ignoring the many whimpers and groans passing around the dorm. Hermione had already announced their defeat to the entire house and then insisted upon teaching everyone the spell they should use to change the colours of their robes. Groaning, Harry rolled over and buried his face in his pillow.

"It was a good game." Ron consoled, dropping onto his bed and kicking his shoes off. Dean and Seamus came into the room slowly, both looking depressed as they collapsed on the end of Harry's bed.

"At least you look good in green." Seamus implored, patting Harry's ankle. Harry opened one eye and looked over his shoulder at the pair sitting on his bed. Muttering a sarcastic 'thank you', he returned his face to his pillow. As the others changed into pajamas and crawled into bed, Harry slipped out of bed to open the window. Standing there, he heaved a sigh before changing and allowing himself to curl back up on the bed.

"Uh, Harry? How did Draco get our flag anyway?" Dean asked, the question loud in the quiet room. Whimpering, Harry rolled over and squeezed his eyes shut, cutting off any further questions his roommates may have had.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, as it was a delight to write while at the same time being challenging.

websurffer – Close enough? lol, hopefully it's written something as you had envisioned it.  
Black Roses of Death – Yah, I know what you mean. It drives me crazy when I have to continually scroll to the top to check something out.  
NinjaoftheDarkness – lol, random people are the best type. My friends say I'm random but I'm just absent-minded, honest.  
Iredesent - Maybe kind of close to what you were picturing? lol, there will be other chapters where I could use the idea and trust me, I can see it happening.  
LandUnderWave – Of course they'd win, who else would cheat so obviously then deny it?  
karenelaine – lol, I think they're gonna drive poor Snape through the roof.


	16. Gryffindor Grace

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

**

* * *

Chapter 15 – Gryffindor Grace**

On most mornings, Gryffindor Tower was a seething mass of laughing joking students all sporting the red and gold of the lion. The Common Room would be teeming with second and third years all waiting for friends and seventh years would be lounging around waiting for their afternoon classes to begin. This morning was proving to be very different. Not a single lion had dared place his paw near the portal leading from the Tower. While the much more even tempered lionesses had shrugged their shoulders and donned their silver and green cloaks, the lions of Gryffindor cowered in their dorms.

Glancing at the clock on the mantle, Hermione rolled her eyes and stormed over to stand at the bottom of stairs leading up to the boys' dorms. "Harry Potter! Get down here!" She bellowed loudly, crossing her arms and tapping one foot impatiently. Sighing in exasperation when her call failed to raise the raven-haired wizard, she placed her foot on the first stair and began the short climb.

Without preamble, she swung the door of the sixth year dorms open and stalked inside. Planting her hands on her hips, she looked at the still curtains and curled her lip. "You made your bed Harry, now lie in it." She snapped, jerking the long curtains aside and grabbing him by the shoulder. Shaking him ruthlessly, she turned her head at a muffled choking sound. "Up, Ronald. Now." Hermione growled, ducking to avoid the hand Harry was swinging blindly at her head.

"But Hermione," Ron whimpered plaintively, lifting the edge of his curtain so he could peer around the fabric. Seeing the angered look on his girlfriends face, his eyes widened and he slid off the bed. "Maybe you should get up Harry." The redhead suggested softly, wincing as Hermione gnashed her teeth.

On the other side of the room, Dean's curtains flew up and he leaned over the footboard of his bed. "Hermione," he began softly. "If you leave now we can all get another twenty minutes of sleep before we have to go to Charms."

"Dean." Hermione stated calmly, straightening as she let go of Harry's shoulder. "Breakfast is over. In exactly fifteen minutes you'll all be late."

Shaking his head, Dean waved his hand and began to explain his theory. "See, the Great Hall is only ten minutes from the Charms classroom. Now if we completely bypass the lower levels of the school we can make the trip in less then three minutes. Give or take a couple of seconds." He mused thoughtfully, chewing on his lower lip as he sat back.

Rolling back over, Harry raised a hand and covered his eyes against the sunlight pouring through the window. "What day is it?" He asked groggily, flopping back onto his pillow and dragging the sheets back into place.

"Wednesday." Hermione answered, stalking around to the trunk at the end of his bed. Tossing the lid open, she grabbed the first cloak and tie she came upon and quickly transfigured them to the Slytherin colours.

"So our humiliation isn't over." Harry muttered, tucking an arm under his pillow and watching Ron's fuzzy shape haphazardly drag on green and silver robes.

"It hasn't even begun," Hermione hissed. Wheeling around, she aimed her wand at the curtains on the beds and hissed a spell, watching in satisfaction as the long fabric was whisked to its place at the corner posts. Groans filled the room almost immediately. "Merlin, you're all worse then a bunch of first years. It's called pride, and I suggest you locate yours and come downstairs. Where's the Gryffindor grace and dignity?" Hermione demanded as she stormed from the room. Slamming the door behind her, she took a step away from the wood before turning around and bellowing, "You have five minutes!"

Three minutes later she smiled in triumph as the five sixth year wizards stood before. Walking around them, she inspected the cloaks and robes they wore. Her eyes searching for any sign of Gryffindor red or gold, upon finding none she grinned and gestured towards the portal. "That wasn't that hard was it?" She purred, picking her book bag up and flouncing towards the door.

"No." Harry grumbled, tugging unhappily at the collar of his shirt. "But don't be expecting me to sit at their table and cry them praises to the heavens."

"Amen." Dean and Seamus chorused, distastefully pulling on the Slytherin ties they wore. Muttering under her breath, Hermione allowed herself to be pulled to Charms. To her bemusement, they arrived and claimed their seats before the professor had placed a foot into the room.

XxXxX

"Looking good Potter!"

Harry grimaced as he ducked into History of Magic, dropping into his chair and sliding down until he was almost under the desk. He whimpered as someone else let out a girlish shriek, his name garbled into the middle of the high-pitched announcement.

"Tough luck, mate." Ron said, patting Harry awkwardly on the shoulder. The redhead sat down on one side of Harry as Hermione settled on the other. The pair exchanged a silent laugh over his head.

Harry groaned as one of the Ravenclaw witches fluttered her eyelashes at him. "I'm going to kill Draco." He promised vengefully, glancing towards the ceiling as he made the statement.

"It's not their fault, Harry." Hermione argued, offering the disappointed witch a sympathetic smile. She reached over and straightened his tie, pulling on the dark green silk. "The Slytherin colours compliment your eyes. It makes them look bigger and consequently you prettier." She explained, rifling through her bag and pulling out a new quill.

Harry gasped and turned slowly to face Hermione. "Hermione," he gasped in shock. "I am the king of the forest. Under no circumstance should I be considered pretty. I am handsome and mighty." Ron choked back a snort, quickly placing a hand over his mouth in hopes of disguising it as a cough.

Hermione rolled her eyes and faced the front of the class. "Whatever you say Harry." She mumbled under her breath, reaching up and brushing a lock of her hair back from her face.

"Tell her, Ron." Harry ordered, grabbing the redhead by the shoulder and spinning him around to face the witch.

Ron sighed and picked up his quill, absently twirling it between his fingers. He shot Harry a look over his shoulder when the dark-haired wizard prodded him again. "Harry is not pretty. He is the king of the forest and because of this we all must bow down and be in awe of his might."

"Thank you." Harry said happily, flipping his textbook open. Pulling his inkpot closer, he scrawled the date across the top of the parchment. He paused in mid-stroke when a piece of parchment bounced off his shoulder and landed on the floor. Against his better judgement, he reached down and picked it up. His face blossomed red as he took in the short poem one of the Ravenclaws had proudly written in his name.

"Draco shall die by my hands." He hissed, one hand tightening around the quill he clutched. Ignoring the concerned look Hermione shot him, he shredded the ball of parchment and smiled slightly at the sob of heartbreak.

XxXxX

The night was bright. Stars carpeted the black sky and the moon glowed. Harry looked at Ron and rolled his eyes, absently spinning his telescope around. Astronomy was definitely not the most exciting class but at least they were outside.

"Five points from Gryffindor. Pay attention Potter." Snape fairly crowed, his pale face the only part of him visible as he slid out of the darkness to Harry's left. When the Potions Master turned his back, Harry made a face and exchanged a look with Ron.

Due to the Death Eater attacks, additional staff had been appointed to assist with the sixth year astronomy class. A pat on his shoulder had him smiling and meeting the knowing gaze of Professor McGonagall. With three professors supervising their studies, the Slytherins and Gryffindors were studiously ignoring each other. Though the odd elbow was exchanged, everyone seemed to be focusing on the sky rather then the inter-house battle that continuously raged.

"Attention everyone." The professor began, waving her hands above her head to make sure everyone realized she wanted their attention. "If you all focus on the tail of Ursa Minor you'll-"

"Harry!" Jerking at his hissed name, Harry slammed his eye into the optical piece of his telescope. Frowning, he rubbed his face and looked in the direction the call had come from. He groaned when his emerald eyes met the laughing orbs of Draco.

"What?" He hissed crankily, ignoring the glare Hermione shot him as she diligently followed the professor's instructions.

Smirking, Draco leaned slightly against his telescope and glanced around. "You've been avoiding me." He purred, face brightening as Harry's reddened in embarrassment.

Shaking his head, Harry narrowed his eyes and adjusted his telescope. Putting his back to the blond, he focused intently on the sky. "I have not." He protested quietly, spinning around and glaring angrily when Draco chuckled in disbelief.

"You missed both lunch and dinner. That had to be a first in Hogwart's history." Draco murmured, tipping his head to the side. "And I was really looking forward to seeing you wear my colours." The Slytherin mourned, jerking his attention back to his notes as Snape glided towards them. Harry quickly followed the blond's example, peering through the lens and ignoring the towering shadow he seemed to have acquired.

Gritting his teeth, he marked the first few stars down and began to outline the image they created. His shoulders relaxed when Snape moved away. He almost whooped with joy when the professor assigned their homework and released them. Packing his bag, he raised his eyebrows at Ron and suppressed a chuckle when the redhead nodded frantically. He looked beyond the Slytherins and smiled at the forbidding expanse of shadowed forest. It was a perfect night for a run.

"Snapes watching us." Ron muttered as he shot a quick look over his shoulder. Harry nodded knowledgeably and kept walking. Upon entering the school, he picked up speed and grabbed Ron's wrist. Ducking down a dark hall, the pair prowled through the shadows. A scuffing noise from behind them had the pair slipping into the nearest shadows and cowering there as the footsteps drew closer.

"Hermione." Both breathed out in relief, stepping back into the center of the hall. Harry stilled when the shadows behind her stirred abnormally. The witch offered an apologetic smile as she stepped out of the shadows, quickly followed by Severus Snape.

"He caught me." She mumbled, dropping her gaze and glaring at the floor. Ron and Harry took several small steps back, their eyes locked on the smirk of glee plastered across the professor's face.

"Indeed I did." The older wizard said quietly, hands folded before him as he took trio in. His cloak swung out as he whirled around, taking a few steps before turning and raising an eyebrow at the immobile Gryffindors. "Follow me!" He barked, sneering when Ron jumped.

Rolling his eyes over the Potion Masters behaviour, Harry trekked quietly behind him. His eyes following the sweeping end of the black cloak as it billowed out behind the older wizard. Glancing around, he frowned when he noticed they were heading in the direction of the Headmasters chambers. "Where are we going?" He asked quietly, jumping when Snape answered in a voice made of velvet.

"I would hope you'd be able to recognize the entrance into Professor Dumbledore's office, Potter. Merlin only knows how many times you've been here before." Snape murmured, pausing to whisper the password.

As the gargoyle slid slowly aside, Hermione exchanged a disturbed look with Harry. "Professor," she said. "Shouldn't you take points and give us detention, then send us back to our House?"

Climbing the stairs, the Potion Master didn't even pause to glance back. His chuckle was slightly disturbing as he raised his hand to knock on the wooden door. Upon receiving the invitation to enter, he turned the knob and swept in. "New rules and curfews have been applied. With them comes the need for better discipline."

Dumbledore may have been dressed for bed. His robes were bright red and he wore a hat to match, his fingers idly stirring the small green candies resting in a brightly decorated dish on the edge of his desk. "Ah Severus, what seems to be the problem?" He asked cheerfully, reaching up and straightening the pointed hat.

"Students breaking curfew, sir." Professor Snape said, moving to stand before the fireplace as the three Gryffindors arrayed themselves before the large desk. They all stood with their heads down, arms wrapped around their waists as they shuffled in place.

"I see. Harry, what do you have to say for yourself?" Albus Dumbledore questioned, one hand rising to stroke the crooning phoenix that sat behind him on its perch. The fiery bird leaned into the touch and chirped softly, its wings raised slightly as if to take flight.

"We were returning to our dorms after class, sir." Harry began, shooting Snape a black look when the older wizard snorted in disgust at his answer.

Dumbledore held up a hand in a calming gesture. Tipping his head and listening, he smiled before he called enter. Seconds later a flustered McGonagall swept into the crowded chamber. Close on her heels were Blaise, Pansy, and Draco. The Slytherins looked around arrogantly, looking every bit the purebloods they were.

"They were wandering the halls, Albus." She explained, ignoring the outraged look on Snape's face.

"We were returning to our dorms, sir." Pansy corrected, her elbow slamming into Draco's side before he could open his mouth. Smiling sweetly, she glanced around the room, smirking when she laid eyes on the Gryffindors.

Leaning back in his chair, Dumbledore crossed his arms over his waist and linked his fingers together. "I must say it is a lovely night. When I was younger, I'd slink out of my bed to watch the stars. Tonight is indeed the perfect night for creeping around and this fine old castle has many good places from which to view the sky." Dumbledore stated, head tipped to the side. Sighing heavily, he sat back up and placed his forearms on the desk. "Times have become dangerous with so many people hiding in the dark. We cannot allow you to run around for fear that something unexpected may happen. These rules we've put in place are for your safety and we all must abide by them. From each of you I'll take ten house points and assign detention with Hagrid."

Harry bowed his head and nodded in acceptance. Peeking through the dark fringe of his bangs, he shot a glare at Snape before peering back at the headmaster. "We're sorry sir. It won't happen again." He apologized, Ron and Hermione's voices joining his as they asked for forgiveness.

"I understand. I was young once too." Dumbledore said with a smile, waving a hand he dismissed the group of them. "You may go now, I'll send your professors along in a minute to make sure you make it back to your dorms safely."

Hermione whispered thank you then grabbed the sleeves of the Harry and Ron, dragging them towards the door with one last glare at Snape. A scramble occurred as the Slytherins reached the door at the same time as the Gryffindors. Hermione smiled innocently as her boot came down on Pansy's, grinning evilly at the hiss of pain. Curling his lip in warning, Ron growled at Blaise. Flashing him one last fanged smile before trailing his girlfriend down the stairs, Ron fled the scene. The three Slytherins turned to look at Harry.

Sensing danger, Odin came to the top of his mind. Breathing deeply, the massive stag swung his head around internally, carefully weighing the danger level. Finding himself surrounded by members of his counterparts herd, he tipped his head antlered head. Grunting in anger over being woken for nothing, the stag shot Harry a baleful gaze before settling back into the depths of his mind.

Rubbing the back of his head, Harry shuffled forward before bolting down the stairs. He was almost to the bottom when, a hand closed around his wrist. Pale long fingers tightened, and pulled him back slowly, knocking him off balance on the steep stairs. Opening his mouth to cry out, he found a second hand quickly placed over the gaping orifice.

"Imagine that Harry, detention. Together. Again." Draco whispered into his ear, the hand over his mouth sliding down to cup the front of his throat.

Harry swallowed at the chuckles from Pansy and Blaise, tipping his head back and rolling his eyes to meet Draco's. A faint memory slunk into his mind and Harry grined suddenly. "With Hagrid. I wonder, Draco, will you run screaming from the Forbidden Forest again?" He broke into laughter as he was abruptly shoved away from Draco. Catching his balance, he jumped down the last few steps and turned to look at the blond gliding slowly down the stairs.

Blue eyes blazed in anger. "If you tell anyone about that, Harry, I will hunt you down." Draco threatened, one finger raise in warning. The raven-haired wizard danced out of reach as the Slytherin stalked angrily after him.

"I didn't think Malfoy's screamed." Blaise said with interest. He winked at Pansy before loping towards Harry and throwing an arm around his neck in a companionable way. "Do tell, Harry."

"Harry!" Draco yelped as he noticed the glint in the other wizard's eyes. Sticking out his lip, he pouted playfully, hands clasped before him.

Tipping his head, Harry shook Blaise's arm off and took a few more steps backwards. He smiled sweetly as he pulled the silver and green tie off, looking down at the Slytherin colours he'd been forced to wear all day. " What's it worth? Is it perhaps worth wearing Gryffindor colours tomorrow?"

Draco shook his head and smirked at Gryffindor. "How Slytherin of you, Harry." He murmured thoughtfully, glancing at the Slytherin cloak the other wizard still wore. "And if I refuse?"

"So, Blaise." Harry began, grinning as Draco gasped. "Draco got Ron, Hermione, and I in trouble for being out after curfew. So we had to-"

"Enough!" Draco called, snatching the tie from Harry's hands. Glaring at his best friend, he extended his hand. "I'll wear Gryffindor colours tomorrow but that story never gets told again."

The proffered hand hovered between the pair for a moment before Harry reached out and took it. Shaking quickly, he let go and backed up. Glancing down the hall, he nodded at the approaching professors before returning his attention to Draco. "Agreed." Harry shot the blond one final look before trotting down the dark hall towards Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review!

rayama – lol, should we give this one to Harry?  
MAnny2003 – Draco's added term will appear in several chapters, for now it remains a secret.  
Iredesent – lol, I wish I could of pushed Harry into it but I that's just not the way the chapter ended up. I would have loved to deck him out on silver and green from top to _bottom_  
karenelaine – The humor aspect of this story has arisen due to the seriousness of my other fic. I lighten my writing in this and it makes me feel just a tad bit happier. Other houses may get involved but I can totally see a small games war occurring between the Snakes and the Lions.  
parseltongue girl – ew?  
Chilaro – lol, glad you'll stick with it even though its gonna be kinda slashy (mind you I'll keep it light)  
LandUnderWave – lol, indeed he does.  
websurffer – Odin crashing around the dungeons in search of the flag would've been funny, could you imagine the look on poor Snape's face? lol  
NinjaoftheDarkness – lol, everybody forgets now and then. Last year I got lost on the way to one of my classes and spent five minutes trying to remember where I was going before I gave up. I went back to my rez room and took a nap instead.  
Murphyangel – Draco's term will show up in a future chapter, I know what the term is just not when to add it in.


	17. Slytherin Bravery

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling

**WARNING:** Mild Swearing

**Chapter 17 - Slytherin Bravery**

Draco took one final peek into his mirror before heading down to the Common Room. As ordered by Harry, his robes were the red and gold of Gryffindor. He smiled in triumph as he floated down the stairs. Today, he would beard his lion in his den.

"What did you do to your hair?" Pansy whispered, eyes fastened on the top of Draco's head. Smirking the former blond glided down the stairs and dropped his book bag next to the chair his friend was sitting it. Reaching up, he ran a hand through the soft locks of gold and grinned as Pansy closed her eyes in disgust.

"Where's the red?" Blaise asked in interest, circling the prince of Slytherin and looking his Gryffindor robes up and down.

"There are already enough red heads in this school, I didn't feel the need to add myself to their miserable ranks." Draco purred, hands running over the Gryffindor tie he wore with a look of triumphant in his eyes. Smiling, he pulled his wand out and waved it before him, watching his friends draw back slowly. "Where are your Gryffindor colours?" He asked, brow drawing down in concentration as he looked the pair over.

Blaise held his hands out as he backed up, Pansy darting behind him with a look of terror on her face. Shaking his head, the dark-haired wizard grimaced at the look on Draco's face. "You made the deal with Potter. You're the one who has to suffer." Blaise pointed out ruthlessly, drawing his own wand in warning.

Rolling his eyes, Draco shoved his wand back into his pocket and bent over to grab his bag. Tapping one foot, he stood there and glared at the unmoving Blaise and Pansy. "Fine, but that means you can't sit with me." He muttered, swinging around and marching towards the door. He grinned evilly when he heard his friends groans of defeat, placing one hand on the portal as if he was going to leave without them.

"Wait, Draco." Pansy grumbled unhappily as she trudged towards him. Sighing she submitted and allowed him to change her robes to the Gryffindor colours. "Don't even think about touching my hair." She warned when his gaze drifted to her artfully styled locks. Shaking his head mournfully, he glanced at Blaise and raised a pale eyebrow.

"You can put a little red in my hair but the first person who says anything gets hexed into next week." Blaise threatened before surrendering himself to Draco's mercy. A couple of minutes later Draco led the pair from the Slytherin Common Room. Hiding his amusement, he walked calmly between Pansy and Blaise, their boot heels ringing on the dungeon steps.

"I don't see why we had to do this just to sit with you." Pansy muttered shamefully, hiding her face when they walked by a group of stunned Hufflepuffs. Figuring he may as well use his new look, Draco smiled sweetly and wished them all a good morning. Startled yelps and the sound of retreating feet had him snickering in delight.

"Because dear Pansy, we'd look sadly out of place at the Gryffindor table dressed in Slytherin green." Draco stated, taking a few more steps before stopping and turning around. He placed his hands on his hips as he met the horrified looks his friends were giving him. "What now?" He asked in exasperation, tapping one foot.

"Gryffindor table?" Pansy questioned on an exhaled breath, extended hand snaring the sleeve of Blaise's robe.

Blaise caught Pansy's tugging hand and clutched it tightly, staring at Draco quietly. He began to shake his head slowly, eyes locked with the pale blue orbs. "What makes you think Harry will be at breakfast? They've missed breakfast for the past two mornings." He reminded Draco, ignoring the flash of annoyance that crept through the other boys eyes.

Draco waved the comment down, turning on his heel and continuing down the hall. "Once a month, Blaise, Heaven settles on the Great Hall in the form of a Belgian waffle breakfast. Nobody misses it, not even Harry."

"And, what?" Pansy demanded, hands on her hips as she watched him carefully. "You're just going to waltz in there and sit down?"

Draco pondered her words as he walked away, smirking when the answer came to him. "Actually, I was going to saunter gracefully but I think you know what I mean." He called over his shoulder, hefting his bag back into place and stalking onward. The sighs of defeat his friends huffed had him grinning victoriously and slowing down so they could catch up.

XxXxX

Harry was in the middle of shoveling a mouthful of strawberries and whip cream into his mouth when silence crept over the hall. He knew whatever was going on behind him was indeed drastic because Ron's fork paused en route to his mouth, the load of blueberries beginning to slide off the gold utensil. Watching in bemusement, he sighed when a lone berry slipped off and bounced on the red and gold tie the red head wore.

"Ron-"

"Good morning Harry." A cool voice murmured in greeting, silencing Harry as he turned slowly to look at the Slytherin standing behind him. Draco was flanked by Pansy and Blaise, all three wearing Gryffindor robes.

"What did you do to your hair?" Harry asked in a startled voice, ignoring the snickers of amusement that crept through the quiet hall. He blinked when Draco grinned and finished his approach, sitting down calmly on the bench next to Harry.

Draco smirked in delight, pulling an empty plate closer and beginning to serve himself. "You don't like it?" He asked in a mournful voice, gesturing for Pansy and Blaise to sit down next to him. As the hall began to return to normal, Blaise and Pansy claimed seats. Both nodded in thanks when Hermione offered them an apologetic smile.

"Not really. Besides red is the main Gryffindor colour." Harry informed the gold haired boy, his fork clinking on his plate as he returned to eating. Silence settled upon the small group, the four friends all holding their breath while waiting to see what would happen next.

"So how does it feel, Harry?" Draco asked absently, licking whip cream off his fork with a moan of pleasure.

Harry shot the Slytherin a confused look, chasing a strawberry around his plate while he thought the question over. "How does what feel?"

"Why, knowing that I'm more Gryffindor then you are Slytherin." Draco exclaimed loudly. He gave the raven-haired wizard a slap on the back when he began to choke on his breakfast.

"Don't worry, you'll get over it." He said casually before returning to his breakfast and ignoring the spluttering lion sitting next to him.

"What're you talking about?" Ron asked, beginning to load his plate with another waffle. Blaise cleared his throat as he watched the red head slap a spoonful of raspberries on the pastry before dragging the whip cream toward him with a loving gleam in his eye. By the time he was done, the waffle had vanished under a white mountain.

"Not only did I show up for breakfast, Weasley, but I had the bal-"

"Draco!" Pansy hissed, cutting him off before he could finish his statement.

"Malfoy." Hermione warned, glaring at a bunch of first years who were watching the interaction with wide eyes.

Snorting inelegantly, Draco waved their words away, turning back to his breakfast. "You get my point." He murmured with a grin, setting his eyes on his plate. Harry mumbled something under his breath but the words were lost in the din. Draco merely smiled and continued to eat.

Hermione stormed into the library angrily, books tucked under her arm as she searched the room for an empty table. She nodded to the librarian before walking to one of the tables and setting her stuff down, pulling out the chair and making herself comfortable before flipping her text open. The Common Room was no place to work on a Wednesday night, the students were rowdy and everyone seemed to be yelling happily at someone else. Harry and Ron had declined her invitation with extremely male grunts, not even bothering to look up from their game of wizards chess.

Shaking her head in disgust, she dipped a quill in her inkpot and wrote the title of her Charms essay on the top of the parchment before her. She glanced up when a shadow fell over her, hand stilling on the turning pages of the book she was using. Her eyes roved over the Gryffindor colours the other witch wore, quirking one eyebrow in question. "Persuasive, is he?"

"You've no idea." Pansy muttered, hands resting on the top of the chair across from Hermione. She shifted a moment before looking around, rolling her eyes over the threatening stare of Madame Pince. Sighing, she dragged the chair out and collapsed gracefully into it, settling several books on table while still watching Hermione thoughtfully.

Hermione snorted, returning to her assignment with a shake of her bushy hair. "Oh, I think I can imagine." She mumbled, turning a page in her book and beginning to read. Her fingers were tensed on the page, the words hardly meaning anything as Pansy fiddled across from her. With a shake of her head, she slammed her book closed and sat back in her chair. "Is there something I can do for you?" She asked loudly, wincing when she was shushed by the watchful librarian.

Pansy chewed her lip for a moment, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small cloth bag which she set before Hermione. She leaned forward and beckoned Hermione closer. "It's gotten too dangerous for us to be out at night like we have been. I figured this way, at least if we get into trouble, we'll be able to call for help."

The small cloth bag was made of a green fabric with silver shot through it. Hermione's eyes flicked between Pansy and the bag before she reached out and accepted it, whisking it into her own pocket. Still looking at Pansy, she dug into her own bag and retrieved the wooden box she'd hidden earlier. She slid the box across the table to Pansy before picking up her quill and returning to her work.

Pansy flipped the lid open, staring at the charms piled together atop the red velvet. She dipped a finger into the box and counted the little figures carefully, nodding when she found nine. "It seems we both had the same idea." She mumbled, closing the lid and placing the box into the pocket of her robes.

Both witches jumped when Madame Pince's voice carried over the library. "I would like to remind everyone that curfew is in fifteen minutes. Anyone not in their Common Rooms by then will be issued a detention and lose a significant number of house points."

Hermione growled under her breath and flipped her book closed, glancing at the small watch she wore. "We have detention in thirty minutes." She grumbled unhappily, beginning to jam her stuff back into her bag.

Pansy froze before groaning and rising, hands settling the robes around her as she made to leave. "We'll see you in a while, Granger." She muttered before whirling around and flouncing away with a flip of her hair. Hermione rolled her eyes, standing and pushing her chair in as she began the trek back to the Gryffindor commons.

XxXxX

Harry accepted a large lantern from Hagrid, the faint glow managing to light up the front of the half-giants hut. He shared a dismayed look with Ron when Hagrid motioned for them to follow. The loud complaints drifting towards them heralded the arrival of the three Slytherins, all still wearing the Gryffindor colours.

"Now, that you're all here, I can tell you what you'll be doing tonight." Hagrid announced. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a limp and crumpled weed. Holding the plant out for their inspection, he gave it a poke with his finger as if to liven it up. "Professor Snape ran out of this here plant. It's called Spear Mint. It grows in the forest so we should be able to find enough to satisfy 'em. Just keep an eye on the leaves, they can be dangerously sharp."

"Uh, Hagrid? How exactly do you expect us to find this . . . plant in the middle of the night?" Harry asked, crinkling his nose at the overpowering smell of mint. Sniffing delicately, he looked around and found the same disgusted look on everyone else's face.

Hagrid peered down at the plant with a thoughtful look, scratching the back of his head before giving it a shake. "Professor Snape said you'd be able to find it by smell." The half-giant recalled out loud, giving a half smile before indicating they should head into the forest and begin their search. "It'll be faster if you do it in pairs, that's why I gave you three lamps. If you need help, just shoot some red sparks into the sky." His words were bellowed at their backs as they all stalked towards the dark forest.

Five minutes later Harry and Draco found themselves alone in the middle of a dark thicket, the flickering light cast by the lamp desperately trying to brighten the area. Harry's abrupt sneeze startled Draco, causing the blonde to jump back and sneer in disgust as he swiped at his sleeve.

"We don't have all night." He grumbled, gesturing at the weed Harry clutched. Reaching out, he pulled the lamp from the Gryffindor's hands and indicated for him to lead the way. "Just take a little whiff, Harry." He coaxed, smirking at the angered look that was shot in his direction.

"You've got the superior sense of smell, you do it." Harry countered, thrusting the weed towards Draco.

"A Malfoy would never lower himself to finding something by smell." Draco replied, putting his nose in the air. Crossing his arms, he glared at Harry. "Besides you're the herbivore. You find it." He reminded arrogantly, reaching out and batting the raven-haired wizards hand closer to his face.

Harry took a startled sniff before scrunching his face in disgust. "That's disgusting." He muttered, covering his face with his sleeve as he sneezed sharply. Wiping his nose on the edge of his robe, he ignored the look Draco pinned on him. The weed he held was dumped into the basket resting at his feet.Stepping back, he gathered himself before calling Odin to the surface. The stag erupted hard and fast, antlers exploding from his forehead and fur stretching across his body.

Odin shook his massive head before grunting. Draco took a few steps back as the stag peered at him through Harry's bright emerald eyes. Shaking his head, Odin raised his head and sniffed softly, nose twitching and ears twisting. With a satisfied look, he turned and began to step delicately away from Draco. Vines and branches caught at the rack of antlers as the stag forced his way through the dense brush. Mutters and moans followed him as Draco scrambled to keep up, inhibited by obstacles the stag had easily passed through. Nostrils flaring, he followed the strong smell of mint.

Thrusting his head through several thick creepers, he froze suddenly. Lying in the center of a patch of strong smelling Spear Mint was a large wolf. The shaggy animal glared up at him in interest, tongue running over it's lips as it peered down at the mangled rabbit resting between its forepaws. Gold eyes returned to his, the wolf obviously considering his chances of bringing down the stag on his own. Rising slowly, the wolf growled before stilling, nose wrinkling.

Draco stumbled backwards into the clearing, jerking on his cloak that had caught on a branch. Swearing loudly, he tugged hard. "Dammit, Harry. When I find you-"

Odin writhed suddenly, thick body freeing itself of the weeds that had been partially restraining him. The wolf lunged sharply, changing his direction and rushing Draco. Odin stumbled towards Draco recklessly, his shoulder slamming into the blond as he intercepted the leaping wolf. His scream of pain overpowered Draco's shriek of agony as he fell. The black stag threw the snapping wolf off, stumbling forward to stand protectively over the limp form of Draco. Breathing heavily, the stag bellowed in warning.

"_What's wrong?"_ The voice was faint and unknown to him, his mind scrambling to understand what was going on while fending off the circling wolf. A distant memory flashed through his head. Hermione fastening the bracelet around his ankle while he played chess with Ron. The way it had hung heavier and jingled more then usual.

"_Who?"_ He questioned sharply, hooves plowing dirt as he pawed in warning. The wolf gave a fanged grin as he slunk closer, beady eyes glowing fever bright.

"_Frost."_ The voice responded, with it came the memory of a white wolf circling with Ember, both growling and snarling at centaurs.

Roaring, Odin charged the wolf. Head lowered and eyes blazing as the wolf tucked its tail between his legs and ducked out of the way. "Draco is hurt." He explained, lashing out with a foreleg in hopes of striking the lithe form. In the distance, a wolf howled. The rising call quickly answered and carried on by another strong voice. Odin returned to his place over Draco, chest heaving as he sought to recover his breath. Snorting, he watched the mangy figure slink through the shadows, the tipped lantern casting shadows on the trees and bushes around him.

His swiveling ears picked up the sound of fleet paws, the light tapping of soft pads on packed dirt. The wolf growled sharply darting towards Odin and snapping at the stags face. Dancing backwards under the onslaught, the black stag swung is head in warning, tined crown raking the air where the wolf had been. Back legs lashed out quickly, one hoof skimming lightly over ruffled fur.

Growling, the scruffy wolf loped out of the way, head twisting as he breathed in deeply. A flash of white came flying towards Odin. Shaking its head, a massive white wolf drew in a deep breath and sneezed sharply. The dark wolf flashed fangs and snarled, edging backwards as Frost stalked forward. Odin snorted and dipped his head, nudging Draco cautiously, eyes still focused on the pair of wolves.

A third form entered the small thicket, the red wolf crouching silently as the dark wolf was pressed slowly towards him. Blue eyes glowed brightly, tongue hanging from the corner of his mouth as he caught his breath from the fast run. Ember rose fluidly from his position, body tense as Frost forced the fearful wolf away from Odin and Draco.

Odin wasn't sure which blow killed the scraggly wolf. The jaws Ember locked around his throat as he spun around to leap back into the forest or the grip Frost placed on the back of his neck. Scrabbling claws, whimpers, yelps, and gasping breaths filled the air as the pair held their places over the struggling animal. When paws stopped quivering and eyes began to dim, the pair of wolves loosened their grips, the wolfs head banging against the ground with a thump. Standing chest to chest, Frost bared fangs before tossing his muzzle toward the night sky and crying loudly. Ember's ears perked as his own head was tipped back, mouth parting on a long drawn out howl.

Odin shifted as a hand closed around his hock, fingers tightening on the thick fur. The black stag bowed his head, green eyes meeting the wide blue orbs of Draco. Snorting, he bumped his nose against Draco's face, ignoring the smell of tiger that surrounded the wizard. His ears twitched suddenly, head jerking up as he swung his wary gaze around. The pair of baying wolves had stopped in mid howl, ears cocked and noses wrinkling. Growling softly, Ember glanced into the shadows and stiffened.

"_They come."_ He rumbled, walking over the dead wolf and prowling towards Odin. Frost followed closely, giving a toothy smile to Draco. A high pitched bark had the three animals shifting uncomfortably.

Struggling to his feet, Draco glanced in the direction the sound had come from. His hand swiped at the blood running down his forehead. He called out to Beau, feeling the white tiger uncurl slowly. The large feline felt the light shimmer of pain riding Draco before growling and sinking back into the recesses of the blonds mind, with an unhappy growl the tiger refused to come out.

"Flea bitten bastard." Draco hissed, with one last glance over his shoulder, the blonde took off in the direction of the school. Ears pinned to his head, the stag lunged around the injured wizard. Darting before him and halting suddenly. Hands flattened against his flanks as Draco tried to shoved him onward. Snorting softly, he bowed neatly, folding one foreleg and lowering his upper body.

"No way Harry." Draco snarled, backing away from the kneeling stag. A nose placed in the center of his back had him stumbling forward and bracing himself against a velvet shoulder. The sharp barks and approaching growls had him wincing before tossing a leg over the stags haunches. Lurching to his feet, Odin caught his balance and took a few bounding steps to prepare Draco. Hearing the blond gasp, he tossed his crowned head before bounding onward, the pair of wolves hurtling along in his wake.

Branches snagged at hair and skin, clinging before being pulled away by the force of each leap. When the noise of their pursuers began to fade, they slowed. Draco sliding off the stags back and the other three gratefully returning to their human bodies. Panting heavily, they leaned on each other without thought as they stumbled out of the forest, landing in a heap just outside the Forbidden Forest. Staring up at the stars, they all ignored the fact that they were practically sprawled on each other. The sound of approaching feet had them all tensing but heaving sighs of relief when Hagrid's form appeared above them.

Shaking his head, he offered a hand to Ron and pulled the red head to his feet. "You shouldn't be running through the forest like that. There's wolves out there." Hagrid warned, glancing at the hands devoid of both lantern and basket.

"No shit." Draco huffed, hands brushing frantically at his robes. Clearing his throat, the blonde whirled around and glared as Pansy and Hermione practically skipped from the forest. Both had baskets heaped with Spear Mint swinging from their arms. Shaking their heads, they thrust the baskets into Hagrid's welcoming hands before pinning the wizards with haughty looks.

"Boys, honestly." Hermione stated, crossing her arms over her chest in disgust. "More testosterone then is good for them." She muttered, shaking her head and frowning. Pansy snorted in agreement, tossing her hair before swinging around and marching towards the castle. Hermione fell into step behind the Slytherin, leaving the wizards staring after the witches in shock.

"Let's not tell them what happened." Ron said in a stunned voice, watching his girlfriend walk towards the castle. Blaise nodded in agreement, running a hand through his sweaty hair.

Harry and Draco exchanged an amused glance before looking at the pair. "What's it worth to you?" They chorused, the looks on their faces identical.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review!

I-see-thestrals - I wish I could update more often but between work, sleep, and the writing of two fics, I just don't have the time.  
Iredesent - lol, I shall endeavor to wear more read and gold because you're right. You just don't see enough people wearing the Gryffindor colours. Hey, with a few changes bullfighter Draco could become pirate Draco, think on that one for a few seconds.   
SilverJadlyn - Ask and you shall receive!  
emeraldsgem - lol, I think that was the only thing Harry has on Draco so who knows what will happen if the situation arises again.  
NinjaoftheDarkness - I think the whole alert system went down. I didn't even know if my chapters had actually been posted or not until I went back in and checked. Very confusing when something like that happens.  
Black Roses of Death - You need a life? I spend at least 10 hours a week writing this stuff, and that's not counting what I spend reading and looking for good fics.  
karenelaine - Don't worry, if nothing else, the Gryffindors are resourseful.


	18. A Game of Sardine

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

**

* * *

Chapter 17 – A Game of Sardine**

Harry grinned from his place on one of the red draped beds, trying to disguise his laugh as a cough. Ron glared at him unhappily; blue eyes narrowed as both his hands rested atop his head as if to hide the black hair he was now sporting.

"It's really not that bad, Ron." He tried to assure his friend, reaching forward and twitching the Hufflepuff robe the other wizard wore back into place. Chuckling, he stood up and grabbed his bag, tossing Ron's to the former redhead as an after thought.

"Why, Harry?" Ron moaned, hands still clutching his hair. His bag struck him in the chest and slid to the floor, spilling its contents across the stone.

Harry tipped his head as he heard Hermione bellow their names from the Common Room. Kneeling, he shoveled the dropped parchment and texts back into the bag and rose, shoving it against the groaning Ron's chest. "Gryffindor House wore Slytherin colours, Draco, Pansy, and Blaise wore Gryffindor. It just didn't seem sporting for you to have to do something you've already done. Besides, Hufflepuffs not that bad and it could be worse; you could be the one with yellow hair." Ron accepted his bag and gave one last glare at the mirror before trailing after Harry.

Hermione stood impatiently at the bottom of the stairs, one hand resting on the railing and the other holding a stack of brightly colored papers. She rolled her eyes when Ron trudged down the stairs, head hanging in mortification as Dean and Seamus playfully badgered him. "You look adorable, Ron." Hermione said loudly, glaring at the joking pair of sixth years.

"Really?" Ron asked, eyes wide as he peered at the Gryffindor witch for reassurance. Hermione bit her lip and nodded. Puffing his chest out, he swung his bag over his shoulder and marched from the Common Room, leaving Harry snorting with laughter.

Cuffing him lightly in the back of the head, Hermione glared at the raven-haired wizard. "I don't know what you've got on him but anything more then this and next time I blackmail you you'll be going to class in nothing more then your boxers." She hissed, slapping him in the chest with the pile of papers and stalking from the room.

Shrugging his shoulders, he glanced at the startled looks on the faces of Dean and Seamus. "Early morning?" He suggested, nodding at the portal that Hermione had just vanished through. The other wizards nodded quickly in agreement, grabbing their bags and falling into step beside Harry.

"What's on tonight's agenda, Harry?" Dean asked, gesturing at the thick stack of papers the dark haired wizard held. Smirking, Harry handed him a sheet and waited for him to read the announcement. "Gryffindor House invites all Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws out for a game of Sardine. Begins shortly after six o'clock, everyone is to gather in the front entrance hall for a reading of the rules." Dean and Seamus exchanged a look of delight, handing the paper back to Harry who tucked it neatly back into the pile.

"Snape is going to kill you." Seamus predicted as they walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry shrugged again and glanced over at the Slytherin table, winking at a smirking Draco. The blond tipped his head in acknowledgment and slapped Blaise on the back, the currently yellowed haired wizard shaking the hand off and burying his face in his arms.

"That's a good one." Dean remarked, sitting down at the table and digging through his bag. He pulled out his divination diary and a quill. "Can I use it?" He questioned Seamus, waving the small book so the other wizard would understand what he meant.

"I would be honoured." Seamus replied, laying a hand over his heart dramatically. He leaned over and watched carefully as Dean wrote the prediction down, murmuring and pointing at a word every now and then. Shaking his head in amusement, Harry looked across the table at Ron who was practically glowing with renewed enthusiasm.

"It's tonight right?" Hermione asked around her book, not bothering to lower the tome to see the face he made in response to her question.

Harry glanced over his shoulder at the Slytherin table before turning back to his plate. "Yah," he mumbled, face reddening in mortification.

"I still have no idea why you agreed to that addition." The bushy haired witch murmured, blowing on a spoonful of steaming oatmeal. "A date with Draco in Hogsmeade after hours. If the teachers find out the pair of you will never see the light of day."

"It's a good thing we're coming with you." Ron grumbled around the spoon that was sticking out of his mouth. Harry raised an eyebrow at his friends statement and glanced at Hermione. Shifting behind her propped up book, she shrugged.

"Hurry up then. We have to distribute these before class begins." Harry replied, poking the flyers with his fork. Hermione swatted the dirty utensil away and sighed at the smudge it left on the paper. "It's the perfect distraction. No one will notice us missing in the chaos of this game."

XxXxX

Harry grinned as he leaned against the railing of the stairs leading down into the entrance hall. Students were already milling around and chatting as they waited for Harry to begin the game. He turned his head slightly as something scuffed the floor behind him. A pair of hands settled themselves gently on his shoulders and he leaned into them without thought.

"It's set?" Draco murmured into his ear, hands tensing on the Gryffindors shoulders. He leaned closer and inhaled deeply, breathing in the sweet smell of strawberries and chocolate. Shooting Ron a killing look when the redhead gagged in disgust.

"Of course." Replied Harry, grinning as Hermione cuffed Ron in the back of the head in warning. "We get the game started and in the madness we flee." He muttered, stretching his arms out and rolling his shoulders.

"Excellent. We'll meet you at the edge of the forest." Draco breathed quietly. With a whispered goodbye, the Slytherin gave him a nip on the ear before vanishing down the hall behind him. Running his fingers through his hair, Harry began to descend the stairs to where it seemed most of the schools population had gathered.

"Tonight's game is called Sardine." He announced with a grin. Chuckling, he waved down the cheers and the questions. Holding his hands up as House cheers were chanted and challenges bandied about in reckless disregard for House respect, he waited for silence. "It's a lot like hide and seek, only better. Two people go and hide together somewhere in the castle, everyone else has to first find them then hide with them. We suggest you travel in pairs or trios while searching for the people who are hiding."

"No magic is to be used and you can't hide in the Houses. If you want to hide in a bathroom, feel free too. Just remember that it will be very hard to fit sixty some students in a single stall." Hermione instructed, she glanced at Harry who nodded in agreement. "That's it. Now who wants to go and hide first?"

Harry carefully scanned the crowd, eyes resting on each individual who was waving their hand above their head wildly. Conferring quietly with Hermione, he nodded in agreement and glanced at the group of students waiting with bated breath. "Theodore Nott and Susan Bones." He stated, seeing the pair widen their eyes and glance through the group at each other. "You have twenty minutes to hide, everyone else is to return to their Common Rooms until that time period is up."

"That went well." Ron murmured as students fled in all directions. Susan and Theodore stood silently next to each other in the middle of the entrance hall, glaring up at the three Gryffindors. Harry gave them a small smile before leading the way back to Gryffindor Tower. Moving quickly, he waved Hermione and Ron into the sixth year boys dorm before wedging the door closed. When he turned around Ron held his broom and Hermione his Invisibility Cloak, both had doubtful looks on their faces.

"Are you sure this is going to work, Harry?" Hermione wondered out loud, moving to open the window. Peering down she shuddered before raising an eyebrow at the boys laughter. Harry gestured for Ron to mount the broom and waited as the redhead offered his hand to Hermione to help her on. He winced when the broom, tilted sharply sending Hermione scrambling off the wooden shaft. Ron's face was red with restrained laughter as he dropped his head onto the hands he had holding the broom steady.

"We're both good fliers, Hermione. Nothing to worry about." Harry reassured, assisting her back onto the broom. Harry had the cloak over his head and one leg over the broom when the door came flying open, desk chair skittering across the floor.

Dean stood in the doorway, a hand resting on the knob and one eyebrow raised. "You know what? I'm not even going to ask." He said, holding his hands out as he backed slowly from the room, closing the door as an after thought. Harry settled himself on the broom and draped the cloak over them.

"We're good?" Ron asked, pointing the broom in the direction of the window and taking off.

"We're good." Harry answered, legs locked around brooms length. He planted his hands on Hermione's hips and shook his head as he felt her shaking in fear. "Let's just get this over with." He murmured, grinning as they floated out the window and swept out over the Forbidden Forest.

XxXxX

Professor Snape stalked down one of the upper halls, several dozen students following in his wake. Glaring over his shoulder, he shook his head in disgust when one of the Hufflepuffs whimpered and wormed his way to the back of the pack, leaving a pair of Slytherins to take the brunt of his gaze. He'd rousted the entire group from a broom closet on the second floor. Twenty students all sitting practically on top of each other in the little space quietly. Pondering the sanity of the bunch, he glanced out one of the windows and froze. Stumbling to a stop, he narrowed his eyes and leaned against the sill, ignoring the whispered apology as one of his house members bumped into him.

Standing just outside the cover of the Forbidden Forest was a massive stag. It's coat was black as soot and the crown it carried was sprawling and well tined. The animal lowered it's head and nibbled on the grass at its feet. Severus sucked a breath in when the bushes to the animals fore shook. With a quick pounce, a wolf with a red coat dragged itself from the brush. The animal danced nimbly around the stag, tongue hanging out of its jaw as it barked happily. A smaller form crept from the shadows slowly, puffy tail held straight out. The small vixen greeted the stag with a nip on the hock, pacing a few feet off before lying in the grass.

"Professor Snape!"

His gaze jerked around and he raised an eyebrow as Professor McGonagall swept towards him, a gaggle of students following behind her like lost ducklings. "Professor McGongall." He greeted, turning his gaze back to the strange forest scene. His eyes widened when a blur of white slammed into the red wolf, fingers tightening on the stone of the sill as he pressed his face closer to the glass. He watched in shock as the two wolves rolled around in the grass under the stags nose, yapping and nipping in play. A second white form dropped from the tree above the stag, landing neatly on the dark animals back. Rather then scream in fear and bolt, the dark animal turned its head and peered up at the cat.

"The students seem to be quite active tonight." Minerva murmured, drawing to a halt and eyeing the group fidgeting behind the other professor. She smiled as several Gryffindors waved at her and rolled their eyes as they gestured at Snape.

"Indeed." Snape replied absently, black eyes still fastened on the tableau playing out before him. He shook his head as the tiger slid off the stags back and leapt onto the tumbling wolves, placing a quick bite before vanishing into the forest. In a strange parade they trailed after him, two wolves, a vixen, and a stag. "I can only wonder who began this atrocity."

"Oh, its all in fun Severus." Minerva scolded, shaking a finger at him as the students all nodded and shuffled nervously. The pounding of feet had both professor's whirling about and pointing their wands at the approaching figure.

Drawing to a halt before them, Filch placed his hands on his knees and panted heavily. "Hogsmeade's been attacked by Death Eaters. All students are to be brought to the Great Hall." He puffed, standing slowly and glaring at the students snickering at him from behind the professors. "Dumbledore's orders."

"Oh dear." Minerva whispered, reaching around and grabbing one of the students who was trying to inch away without being noticed. "I'll take these students to the Great Hall, Severus. You should continue to look for any other wanderers."

Nodding in agreement, he looked out the window once more before giving several straggling students a push onwards. Shaking his head, he started the hunt for the wayward students.

XxXxX

Odin trailed along after Beau, his tail twitching back and forth as he listened to the wolves scrambling around in the brush around them. He snorted in surprise when Frost came whipping through some vines and darted under his nose, Ember close on his heels. The white tiger growled loudly in warning, tail flicking as he led the way towards the brightly lit village ahead of the group. Around them the forest was strangely quiet. No night birds called shrilly from the treetops, no predators bayed their hunger at the moon. Halting, Odin swung his head back and forth, nose sifting through the various forest smells in search of something that seemed always just beyond his grasp.

"Something is wrong. The night is too still." He murmured, expressing his concerns to the rest of his herd. He sighed and shook his antlered when the pair of wolves came dashing out of the bushes again, Frost's jaws reaching for Ember's back leg.

Beau turned his head and ran his tongue over his nose, head bobbing agreement. "I feel it." He whispered, tail lashing the air as he glanced back at the vixen and mink following slowly behind the emerald eyed stag. Growling, he turned and continued his slow prowl, senses searching for danger. The small group paused at the edge of Hogsmeade, eyes and ears searching the village carefully.

It was Odin who took the first step forward, black coat concealing him in the shadows of a shop. He threw his head up, ears flattening against his skull at the appearance of a figure before him. Standing perfectly still, he eyed the robed figure. Death Eater. The word rolled through his mind hard and fast, bringing with it the urge to attack. To protect his family without any thoughts to his own safety. Upon seeing him, the figure jerked back and raised a hand crafted of silver. Clutched within the metal fingers was a piece of wood which was shakily leveled at the stags head.

"Calm down Wormtail. It's just a deer." A cool voice hissed, a second cloaked figure reaching out to grab the shaking wizard by the back of his shirt. Acting the inquisitive beast, he stretched out his neck and sniffed the wand, allowing his tongue to flick out and taste the wood.

"Of course my lord. What was I thinking?" Wormtail muttered, moving to tuck the wand away.

"Hurry up. We don't have much time left." Voldemort grumbled, snake like eyes locked on the silent stag. Flicking his tail, Odin shuffled in place before dropping his head and nibbling the heads off several flowers growing in the shops small garden. The sudden narrowing of those eyes had Odin raising his head, nostrils flaring and a single hoof scuffing the dirt in warning. His antlers raked the wall of the shop, a thin line of paint pealing away beneath the sharp point.

"Animagus." Voldemort hissed loudly, his words bringing several Death Eaters to his side almost immediately. Shifting proudly, Odin arched his neck and rolled his eyes. Bellowing, he stomped one hoof and shook his crown in warning.

XxXxX

Hogwarts glowed brightly as hundreds of candles lit the Great Hall. Students were still reluctantly being dragged into the room and pointed in the direction of their house. A large board above the doors flicked and kept tally, adding to itself as three more students were escorted into the large room by Professor Snape. Shaking his head in disgust, Severus pointed to the far corner where the Ravenclaws had slowly been gathering. Making his way towards the Head Table, he nodded at Minerva before glancing at Dumbledore.

"I can't find anymore." He reported, narrowing his eyes when several rambunctious students began yelling at each other. Turning to descend the dais, he paused when a hand caught his arm and a finger pointed at the glowing board. The flickering numbers were wrong.

"Six students are missing." Albus murmured quietly, his gaze traveling around the crowded hall. He rubbed his forehead as the Professors began to settle the students, passing out pillows and sleeping bags.

"Potter." Snape hissed, fingers drumming the wood of the table as he began to search for the trio.

Minerva nodded solemnly, her fingers clenched in the folds of her cloak as she slowly directed his attention to the corner occupied by the Slytherin house. "I'm afraid Mister Malfoy is missing as well."

Swearing under his breath, his mind went back to the strange animals who had been romping together on the lawn beside the forest. The black stag. The red wolf. The overly fluffy brown vixen. The white tiger, and the white wolf. "They're in the forest." He muttered, eyes closed tightly in anger. The behaviour of the two groups over the last few weeks had definitely been off. Hell, even he had caught Draco and Harry in several awkward positions which they had waved off easily.

"Surely you're jesting, Severus." Minerva whispered in shock, face paling as she looked back and forth between the Headmaster and the Potions Professor.

Shaking his head slowly, he pulled out a chair and sat down in it gracelessly, hands locking themselves around the wooden arms. "Remember the night when you received several reports of a tiger in the school? A wolf as well? Put two and two together and who do you get?" He questioned, smirking as Minerva flopped down into a chair.

"Oh dear."

* * *

A/N: Surprise! Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review. Hope everyone had an exciting Halloween.

NinjaoftheDarkness - lol, I was worried too. I didn't think anyone was reading my updates.  
MAnny2003 - lol, and the addition appears.  
websurffer - Adapted the idea slightly, figured it was after all only fair considering what they'd already done.  
karenelaine - It was one of the send-them-out-into-the-woods-and-let-them-learn-a-valuable-lesson type of things. Fear is sometimes the best method to teach, not that I'm suggesting you use it.  
Iredesent - lol, Pirate Draco is adorable isn't he?  
Sapphire-wolf1 - Glad you're enjoying it.  
LandUnderWave - I know it was kind of confusing cause I spent 10 minutes sorting through the ones I'd already read.


	19. Battle in Hogsmeade

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

**

* * *

Chapter 18 - Battle in Hogsmeade**

Hogsmeade was bathed in moonlight, long shadows cast by the small shops and signs painting the town in shadowed stripes. The night air was strangely silent, as if everything had taken a deep breath and refused to release it. Lamps hung from signs above tavern doors, the low wind pushing them into an unsteady dance. While many of the people who dwelled within the sleepy town had gone to bed, the streets were not completely abandoned. The late night revelers traipsed down the dirt roads, their strides uneven and their voices overly loud. Yet they remained oblivious to the confrontation occurring beneath their noses.

Tipping his head slightly, Odin spared the dark shadows behind him a quick look. His bright eyes seeking any sign of his small herd. Heaving a sigh of relief that the tiger remained concealed in the brush, he stomped a hoof and snorted. His ears swivelled as his nose twitched, bright eyes locked on the snake like face of Lord Voldemort. Arching his neck, he eyed the cloaked figures gathering behind the dark wizard.

"Would you like me to kill it, my lord?" One of the Death Eater's purred softly, his fingers flashing as he twirled his wand in an intricate pattern. The mask he wore covered his face, pale orbs seeming incredibly bright next to the pale fabric.

The Dark Lord waved a hand and dismissed the offer, his eyes never moving from the fidgeting beast before him. "No, Lucius. If anyone is going to have the pleasure of killing this beast it will be me. Though I must say my curiosity is getting the better of me." He murmured, a small smile creeping over his face.

"My lord?" Lucius asked quietly, his head angled slightly as he peered at the black stag standing so proudly in front of Voldemort. It's coat gleamed blue in several places while the light from their wands caused the one ivory antler to glow. As if feeling his gaze, the animal shifted calculating emerald eyes to his face.

Chuckling, Voldemort began to pace back and forth. His fluid movements had the animagus dancing anxiously, hooves pattering against the earth in quiet threat. "Why, to know whom is within this beast of course. A stag is the king of the forest. His antlers a forever growing crown he must bear throughout his life. Not many individuals deserve to share the body of such an illustrious animal. Whoever he is, he is strong."

Somewhere behind the stag, wolves began a low chorus. Their voices twining and fading as quickly as they had rose. Jerking his head up, Odin bellowed a loud response. His cry had the wizards before him wincing and looking nervously about. Drawing wands and doing their best to slink deeper into the thin shadows, the Death Eaters watched their leader in silent fascination.

_You need to run back to Hogwarts. _Odin whispered, ears flat against his head. His pointed nose quivered at the scent of death wafting off the group. The sweet coppery scent of blood soaked into cloth and left to dry. Shaking his antlers in warning, he dipped his head and peered around him.

_I'm not leaving you here alone. How dare you even suggest such a thing?_ Beau replied, the anger in his voice caused by his inability to do anything helpful at the moment. The white tiger was seething in the shadows. Tail lashing in anger as he stalked along the edge of the forest just out of view. Paws continuously flexing as his claws slid from their sheathes and scored the ground.

_It's not safe._ Odin argued, one hoof slamming into the ground without warning. His movement had a frightened squeal slipping through the lips of a figure cloaked in black. Ducking his dark head, he gave a staggish snicker.

_We will not leave._ Ember bit out, not even glancing at the white wolf standing next to him. His large ears were tipping forward and back, nose shivering at the smells the wind carried so thoughtfully to him.

The white wolf bobbed his head in agreement. _It's not done. You do not leave a pack member behind because they are injured or trapped._ His voice held pride and promise, he would not be running anywhere with his tail tucked between his legs.

_We can't do this alone._ Ginger whispered from somewhere within the darkness of the forest. Her fear was obvious, the slight tremor in the vixens voice forcing all the males to admit they'd rather not have the females anywhere near the soon to be battlefield.

_Go for help. Go back to the castle._ Odin issued the order sternly, his gaze still fixed on the wizard stalking slowly before him. Swinging his antlers angrily, he grunted at the dark wizards gathering in the small shadowed street.

_We go. _The vixen murmured, her voice eager and already growing distant.

The males all sighed in relief; with both Gem and Ginger on their way to fetch reinforcements they could begin trying to distract Voldemort. Snarling, growling, and grunting, they slowly glided into motion.

* * *

Brush and bracken gave way before her. The small plants crushed and mauled beneath her furious pace. Panting in desperation, the brown vixen raced towards the castle sitting dark in the night. It was their only hope, she thought. Ears pressed tightly to her skull as she leapt over a small creek. Behind her, the small mink darted around and through the leaves and branches like a swift wind. Liquid hops and flying paws carrying the pair onward through the night.

Stumbling free of the Forbidden Forest, the paused to catch their breath. Unconsciously crouching close together as if expecting to be attacked any moment. Pink tongue flicking over her nose, the vixen loped towards the castle. Wide eyes searching for any signs of life as she slipped through an archway.

_Where is everyone? _She asked quietly, coat puffing up as she shook dirt and clinging leaves from her thick fur. Her gaze dropped to the weasel sitting on its hind legs next to her, small nose in the air.

_Do you think Dumbledore knows there's something wrong?_ Gem demanded, pink paws bright against her light coloured coat. At Ginger's nod, she gave a sharp chirp and took off down the hall. Minutes later they drew to a halt before the entrance into the Great Hall. The massive wooden doors were closed tightly, a streak of gold light peeping out from beneath the heavy wood. Glancing at each other, they took a deep breath and surrendered themselves to the change.

XxXxX

Brushing her hair away from her face, Hermione raised a fisted hand and banged on the door. Her robes were tattered, stained with mud and grime from the fast paced forest run. Beside her, Pansy was no better. Their hair stuck up and was tangled horrifically, faces extremely pale as they knocked desperately on the door.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione screeched, rattling the doorknob with one hand while the other kept a steady beat against the door. The Slytherin witch quickly joined her voice to the Gryffindors, both screaming bloody murder for all they were worth while pounding on the doors

. With a thunderous crack and a deep thud, the locks holding the door closed began to open. An intricate series of bars pulling back and withdrawing, the sound causing a low rumble in the hall. Shivering, the pair clung to each other as the doors opened. Stumbling forward before the doors had opened completely, they collapsed at the feet of Albus Dumbledore and Professor Snape.

"Misses Granger and Parkinson." Dumbledore said as he peered down at them, one hand rising to straighten his spectacles. Blinking, he offered the witches his hands and helped them to their feet.

"Voldemort!" Hermione shrilled, eyes wide as she rose to her feet. Brushing at her robes absently, she didn't notice th quiver in he voice. Her hands shook as she grabbed Pansy's robes and attempted to steady the blonde with fumbling fingers. "Hogsmeade!"

"We are already aware of the Dark Lord's presence in Hogsmeade." Dumbledore informed her, patting her shoulder kindly. His twinkling gaze was caught by the dark thoughtful eyes of the Potions Master. "Severus?"

"Miss Granger, how do you know about the dark lord?" Severus Snape asked quietly. His beady eyes were steady as he glared at the two witches. The recent inter house unity had done little to prepare him for the sight of one of his Slytherin's clinging desperately to a Gryffindor. Both steadying and comforting the other as they anxiously looked around.

"We were in Hogsmeade." Pansy whispered, fingers locking in the cloth of Hermione's sleeve. Her face was white, eyes wide and unblinking. "Harry and Draco had a date."

"We didn't know!" Hermione gasped, eyes shining with tears as she fought back the sobs of fear. "No one saw him until Odin was already in the open." Her words caused a stir, confusion and fear beginning to rise among the eavesdropping students.

"Who, might I ask, is Odin?" Snape sneered, hands folded tightly before him as he looked between the wtiches.

"Harry. Harry's animagus form is called Odin. Blaise is Frost and Weasley is Ember." Pansy choked out, tears beginning to slide down her face. The thought of the small pack still awaiting rescue at the edge of the forest had both witches breaking down, sobs and tears finally bringing their facade crashing down. Sinking to the ground, both witches curled up. Sobbing and clutching at each other, they ignored the professors standing above them. Their cries rang through the hall, fear and desperation ringing in the ears of their fellow students.

Dumbledore turned and looked at his professors, eyes dipping back down to peer at the shuddering students shaking on the stone floor. "Severus, Minerva, I believe we should proceed with haste." The old wizard said quietly, turning around and leading the way through the doors. Snape swished his robes aside to avoid touching the crying witches, nose in the air as he trailed after the older wizard.

Glancing between the sobbing witches and the two wizards on their way to retrieve the four wizards. She shook her head and gathered her long robes, quickly trotting to catch up with the headmaster. Silence settled upon the Great Hall, the tense feeling only broken by the sobs wrenched from the throats of Pansy and Hermione.

* * *

Beau slid gracefully from the dark shadows, tail flicking rhythmically as he stalked forward. His appearance had the Death Eaters gasping and drawing their wands, the tips wavering as they danced between the pale feline and the black stag. Snarling, he curled his lips and slipped beneath Odin's belly, hissing in warning as the stag snorted.

"How curious." Voldemort murmured, his snake like head turning as he stared at the pair. He watched in interest as the black stag dipped his head to bump noses with the angry tiger. "A tiger and a stag. The Predator and the prey."

Odin threw his head back and bellowed, one of his back hooves scuffing the ground in warning. His emerald eyes rolled, flashing white as he bounced nimbly. His body twitched at the slight brush of whiskers on his forelegs, the powerful caress of the tiger.

"Such opposites, one should be fleeing for his life yet look how proudly he stands." Voldemort stated, a smirk covering his face as he peered over his shoulder at the Death Eaters standing casually behind him. "How close they lean. Enemies into friends, this is not how animals act."

Beau slid forward slowly, claws sinking into the loose dirt as he growled. His lithe form vibrated with the sound, his hackles rising as his cupped ears flattened against his skull. Long whiskers arched forward as blue eyes were half hidden beneath lids, the tiger arched his back fluidly. His coughing cry almost hiding the shrill squeal of fear emitted from one of the black swathed figures.

"My lord!" A Death Eater cried, leveling a shaking finger at two forms slinking closer. Prowling leisurely into the village square, the wolves split apart and circled in opposite directions. The red wolf grinned and snapped fangs in warning, his tail waving slowly back and forth. Death Eaters scurried away from the frothing animal, wands jumping between the pair anxiously. Tongue hanging from his mouth, the leggy white wolf rumbled. In the perfect synchrony of wolves, they cut their prey from the herd; separating the Dark Lord from his minions.

"What are you doing?" Voldemort demanded, incredulous of the incompetency his Death Eaters had just shown. "Attack them already!" He screeched, the hand holding his wand moving to indicate the stalking wolves.

Seeing the preoccupation of the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters, both tiger and stag decided it was time to take action. Muscles tensed and stretched as the pair slid quietly forward. Baring fangs, Beau moved forward like liquid. His striped coat flashing through the shadows as he darted towards Voldemort. Odin was close behind, sharp rack lowered as he charged.

Still trying to aim his wand at the wolves slipping around and through the desperately whirling Death Eaters, Voldemort failed to see the animals rush. Massive jaws closed over his arm, bones crunching deliciously in the tigers mouth. Screeching, he raised his other hand and brought his closed fist down on the cats sensitive nose. Hissing around his mouth full, the tiger didn't notice the wand being pointed as his twisting spine.

Before the Lucius Malfoy had a chance to whisper the Unforgivable, he was struck by the stag. Antlers slipped through black silk, ripping and tearing as the animal swung its head seeking flesh. Huffing and snorting in rage, Odin rubbed Lucius Malfoy into the ground. Beyond him, Frost and Ember darted back and forth among the Death Eaters. Their teeth snapping and closing around fabric and skin, tearing mercilessly in a solid effort of keeping the Death Eaters focused on them rather then their leader. Lights flickered on in the windows of several small houses, faces pressed against glass.

Punching the cat again, Voldemort got his release. The white tiger's jaws unlocking as he dropped to the ground. Smiling devilishly, the tiger flashed fangs and swung a heavily clawed paw at the dark wizards legs. Fumbling his wand into place, Voldemort smiled down into blue eyes, his lips already forming the words of the smell. Before he could finish, he found himself thrust forward over the tiger. Rolling to his feet, he glared at the stag standing defensively over the rumbling tiger.

The pair exchanged some unknown sigh before gliding forward in a threatening way. Their strides were perfectly in sink, claws and antlers gleaming in the moonlight as they prowled forward. In the background, the continuous shrieks and hissed spells of the Death Eaters resounded. Jerking his wand up, he screamed the spell into the fanged mouth as the tiger reached him, the stag practically on top of him. In a writhing squealing pile, the three collapsed.

* * *

Professor Snape slid quietly forward as he walked slightly behind Dumbledore. Minerva followed close behind the wizards, her wand glowing as she swung it back and forth. They had needed no directions to find their misplaced students. A flash of light and screams moments later drawing them towards the small area.

Death Eaters whirled and sprang about, their black robes and cloaks swinging out behind them in a strange dance as they tried to escape the ruthless wolves darting between them. Flashes of dagger fangs and bristling fur the only warning they received before the wolves struck. Soft growls and snarls from the shadows circling constantly.

"Ah, Messrs. Weasley and Zabini." Dumbledore called loudly, his approach bringing a halt to the deadly game the group was playing. The wolves tipped their ears but made no other movement to live their play. Minds focused completely on the Death Eaters whimpering and bleeding before them.

"Frost, Ember, come." Minerva called, one hand patting her thigh much like one would when summoning a dog to their side. The wolves stared at her for a moment, panting and glancing around before trotting happily towards here, tails waving gently.

The Death Eaters took one look at Professor Dumbledore before apparating away. Several remained lying on the hard ground, the pain from broken legs and arms clouding their minds to heavily for them to use. Pops and snaps heralded the arrival of several Aurors, all dressed in uniforms wielding wands as they rushed towards the downed shadows.

Searching the surrounding area, a cry went up. Wand tips brightened the small area and revealed the pile of bodies lying twisted in the grass. Moving forward slowly, Albus, Minerva, and Severus all stared in fascination at the sight before their eyes.

"Oh my." Minerva muttered, one hand rising to cover her mouth. In whispers and stern voices, the bodies were carefully lifted and floated back to Hogwarts for examination. The only sign of life was the steady rise and fall of chests.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review! I never realized how close I was to finishing this fic. Everything I wanted to have happen happened, strange really, how quickly it all flew by.

NinjaoftheDarkness - lol, what type of luck is better: bad luck or dumb luck?  
Chocolate Lover - Always a good way to spend a night, chococlate and fanfiction.  
sum random reader - Thank you very much for the compliment  
MAnny2003 - Aren't all teachers? Sometimes I think they've seen it all and already know the outcome so why should they bother. Besides, they can make us go to school but they can't make us learn.


	20. Consequences

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

**

* * *

Chapter 19 - Consequences**

Rays of fiery light brightened Hogwarts as the sun rose slowly over the Forbidden Forest. Gray stone was warmed beneath the gentle caress, the walls and windows of the castle absorbing the natural heat. A breeze brushed the tree branches lazily, its touch so soft the leaves barely whispered beneath its breath. On any other day, the school would have been teeming with student's eager to go out and study or play on the lush lawns. This morning proved very different. Students moved silently about their business, books clutched to chests and bags slung over shoulders. The faintest of whispers would reverberate down the crowded halls, turning heads and narrowing eyes. Even with the entire student population present, Hogwarts seemed hollow.

Pale faced, Hermione sat cuddled up against Ron. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks red from the constant swipe of her sleeve. Sniffling loudly, she accepted the handkerchief Pansy handed her. "Thank you," she croaked, dabbing at her glistening orbs. Ron's arm tightened around her waist as the door behind them swung open.

"Professor Dumbledore." Blaise murmured from his position beside Pansy, his hands stilling on her back. The witch turned in his arms and peered hopefully at the headmaster, her brave facade vanishing as he shook his head in regret. Taking one deep breath, Pansy struggled to smile before dissolving into sobbing wails.

"I'm afraid there is nothing that we can do." Albus Dumbledore stated softly, he walked slowly towards his desk and claimed his seat. His eyes were weary, face showing his age as he peered at the four students seated before him.

Ron grimaced as Hermione shuddered within his grasp, tears running freely down her face as she burrowed against his shoulder. "What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" He growled, hands sliding up and down his girlfriend's back in a soothing gesture. His angered rumble seemed to incite Hermione further, pushing her into loud sobs of anguish.

"It could take years to find out exactly how to counter the broken curse, Mister Weasley." Dumbledore explained, hands whitening on the quill he had picked up. His usually twinkling blue eyes were sad, the orbs empty as he watched the two Gryffindors and the two Slytherins huddle together. "The experts and specialists from St. Mungo's have the wands and shall attempt to uncover the curse that the Dark Lord was trying to use when his wand was broken. However, we must assume the worst."

"Why?" Hermione gasped out, raising her face and turning to glare at the older wizard. "Why do we have to assume the worst? They're going to be okay. I know it!" Her voice rose, making her sound slightly hysterical by the time she was finished speaking.

Dumbledore smiled sadly, hands falling apart as he held them up. "I do not doubt the integrity or strength of Harry and Draco. The spell that was used had a strange affect and we will not know it's exact perimeters until they awake."

"When can we see them?" Blaise muttered, face buried in Pansy's hair.

"Anytime." The Headmaster responded quietly. Offering them a reassuring smile, he waved them towards the door.

Ron helped Hermione to her feet, rage at the older wizard's acceptance of the situation making his blood boil. He glanced at Blaise and saw the same look portrayed on the Slytherin's face. "Thank you, sir." The redhead mumbled, leading Hermione from the room silently. Pausing in the doorway, he turned and looked back at the gray haired wizard. Dumbledore sat with his head in his hands, elbows planted on the gleaming surface of his desk. "Sir? What about Voldemort?"

Blaise raised an eyebrow at Ron's question but shot a look over his shoulder. He felt Pansy still in his arms, waiting with bated breath for the older wizards response. Clenching his teeth, his body vibrated with the growl that rode him at Dumbledore's drawn out silence.

"Missing. The Auror's have found no sign of him." Dumbledore said, not bothering to glance up. Nodding at Blaise, Ron continued from the room. His feet unerringly led them in the direction of Harry and Draco, wanting to see for himself the condition of the pair.

XxXxX

Golden sunlight was filtering through the creamy fabric of the tent, softening itself to a pale light within the silken dome. The walls rippled gently with the small breeze that coursed across the grounds. Stirring at the brush of grass against his cheek, Harry mumbled under his breath and attempted to shift away. He frowned when the sweet smell of fresh dirt filled his senses, the overpowering scent of outside reaching his delicate nostrils. Cracking one eye open, he stared up at the silver canopy floating above him.

In the distance, students called loudly, their voices seeming to echo within the confines of the tent. Blinking furiously as understanding struck, he began to sit up. His head tilted dangerously at the sudden weight he found himself bearing. Closing his eyes, he raised his head and ignored the shriek of silk as one sharp tine slid neatly through the cloth. The added weight of the tent was enough to have him flopping back to the ground, head slamming inelegantly against the dirt and grass. Snorting angrily, he leaned forward and folded his long forelegs.

Beyond his small world, a murmur of voices rose in argument. Grimacing at his Professor's angered voice, he stretched his long neck out before attempting to lift his head. The low shred of silk had him sighing and closing his eyes as the tent once again wrapped itself around one pointed prong. His emeralds flew open at the sound of approaching footsteps and the brush of clothing against silk as someone pressed their way into the tent. The arrival of Ron had him settling slightly, the presence of a friend and herd mate calming his nerves.

"Hey, mate." Ron whispered, smiling slightly at his friend's predicament. Raising one hand, he rested his fingers on the stag's arched neck while carefully pulling the fabric of the tent off Harry's antlers.

Staring at the redhead, the big black stag shook it's head and groaned. "What happened?" Harry asked quietly, peering at Ron with eyes not quite those of a stag.

Ron cleared his throat before dropping to his knees, fingers immediately curling through the lush grass beneath him. His eyes were sad as he looked at Harry, shadowed from a night spent worrying about his friend's safety and health. "How much do you remember?" He questioned, running his tongue over his lips as the stag closed his eyes in thought.

"Voldemort. I remember charging Voldemort. Beau was there, too." Harry mumbled, eyes popping open as he looked to Ron for confirmation. At the redheads nod, he lowered his head and nibbled on the grass under his muzzle without thought, ignoring the snort of amusement his actions incited as he tried to remember. "He was casting a spell when Beau grabbed him. I don't remember anything after that."

"Beau closed his mouth around Voldemort's wand. When he bit down, he snapped the wood." The redhead murmured, glancing at his fingers as he uprooted grass. He took a deep breath and balled his hands into fists. "We don't know what spell he was trying to use when his wand was broken. Auror's don't even know if there's a way to either complete the spell or reverse it."

Harry's mouth fell open at Ron's announcement, half chewed grass spilling from his gaping muzzle. He blinked furiously as his mind wrapped itself around his newest problem. "Draco?" Harry demanded, forelegs beginning to straighten as he pulled himself to his hooves.

"The same. He took the brunt of the magical surge seeing as the wand was in his mouth when it broke. The doctors from St. Mungo's say he'll be alright once the burns heal completely." Ron responded, his voice quiet as he raised a hand and rubbed at his eyes. He sniffled loudly and shuffled back as the dark stag dragged himself slowly to his feet. "I'm sorry, Harry. I should have been there."

"You were there, Ron." Harry reminded quietly, smiling as he shook his entire body. Black fur shifted and resettled, small bits of grass and dead leaves drifting to the ground around him. His antlers raked at the silk, tearing small holes and gashes in the light material. "Ember and Frost kept the Death Eater's off our backs. If the pair of you hadn't been entertaining them, Beau and I would most likely be dead."

"Hermione said that." Ron grumbled sullenly, standing and grabbing one sharp antler as the stag waved his head around. Wrapping his fingers around the pointed tines, he held the stag's head still and looked Harry straight in the eyes. "We made a decision, Hermione and I. As long as you're like this, we'll never leave you."

Harry's eye narrowed at the conviction in the redhead's voice. Shaking his head slowly, he swallowed before opening his mouth. "I'm not holding you to that, Ron. We don't know how long I'll be stuck like this. Body of a stag, mind of a human. It's not fair to the pair of you to hold you here for the rest of your lives."

"You make it sound like a life sentence, Harry." Ron chided, tightening his grip on the stag's crown. He smiled as he watched the emerald eyes roll in annoyance. "The foods great, the beds are comfy, and this is where my best mate will be."

Rather then argue the point further, Harry sighed heavily. "Whatever you say, Ron. However, if in two or three years you decide to leave, I shall claim I told you so from the highest tower of the Hogwarts."

Laughing, the redhead let go of the stag's antlers and wrapped his arms around the long, muscled neck. He squeezed tightly and pressed his face against the thick black coat. "We'll see, Harry, we'll see." He whispered with a smile, fingers clenched on soft fur. He ignored the tear trailing down his face, choosing to rub the stag's neck affectionately and let the drop of water finish it's solemn path.

XxXxX

Draco growled softly and curled a lip at the tug on his whiskers. One pale eye opened slowly, peering up at the top of the tent in undisguised anger. His nose quivered and his whiskers twitched as he sifted through various scents. Above him, cream silk was flushed a brilliant gold by the sun. Small particles of dust dancing at the faintest of breezes sweeping through the thin cloth. His eyes drifted closed as he felt a hand curl itself around his gently flicking tail, gripping tightly before pulling hard. Yowling, he sat up and glared at Blaise.

"What the hell was that for?" He demanded loudly, tail jerking from the dark haired wizard's grip and coiling tightly against his side.

Sitting back, Blaise grinned and held his hands up in surrender. "It's rude to pretend to sleep when you have visitors." He said, hands dropping into his lap at the last word. The pair sat quietly for a moment, staring at each other.

Draco shifted one large paw, nails sliding from their sheathes and slicing into the ground without effort or thought. "What happened?" He whispered, the tenderness around his mouth making him frown.

"Voldemort happened. You broke his wand while it was in your mouth, hence the tail and whiskers." Blaise stated, one finger rising to jab at the appendage that was once more waving gently next to the stretching feline.

Draco froze, entire body stilling in remembrance. He blinked blue eyes owlishly, mouth opening and closing in shock. "Is he dead?" He asked abruptly, watching Blaise squirm beneath his gaze.

Blaise locked his fingers together and glanced over his shoulder at the tent's entrance. "They're not really sure. The Auror's can't find him." He finally whispered, cringing as the tiger let out a roar of anger.

"What do you mean they can't find Harry?" Draco snapped, already beginning to rise. His paws were spaced widely apart as he relearned how to balance, claws burying themselves in the rich soil.

The snowy tiger was already making for the exit when Blaise snagged him by tail. Hissing in protest, Draco spun around as best he could and snarled, lips curling in warning. "Harry's fine, I thought you were talking about Voldemort." Blaise mumbled, letting out a tense chuckle as the tiger sagged in relief.

"Why would I care about that crazy bastard?" Draco demanded, shoulders slumping as he tried to get over the fact that Harry was alive and well.

"Considering the fact that he was trying to kill the pair of you, I'd think you'd be pretty concerned about his current condition." Blaise answered, one eyebrow raised as he watched the tiger run his tongue along the back of a paw. Shaking his head in disbelief over the calmness that had settled upon the cat, he figured he might as well break the news to Draco. "You do realize you're licking yourself, right?"

Draco paused in mid swipe, tongue resting firmly against white fur. Blinking in confusion, he raised his head and peered at Blaise. "Do explain." He growled haughtily, tail beginning it's slow dance once again.

"You broke the wand in mid-spell. Voldemort had only uttered the first half of the incantation when you snapped it. Nobody knows the spell that he was trying to use." Blaise began, shifting back from the tiger and crossing his legs. His hands worked to straighten the cloth of his trousers, fingers smoothing the same wrinkle over and over again. "If they can't figure out what spell he was using, you'll be stuck like this for the rest of your life. Harry is pretty much in the same situation so you may as well not panic."

"I have to spend the rest of my life as a tiger?" Draco muttered, flopping onto his side and looking at Blaise for confirmation.

The dark haired wizard gave a slow nod, eyes closing in regret. Inhaling deeply, Blaise fought to smile. "At least everyone will think you're handsome?" He offered, shrugging his shoulders as the tiger's eyebrows raised.

"What happen's now?" Draco wondered out loud, eyes drifting closed against the cheerful golden light filling the tent. His ears flattened as distant conversations reached them, struggling to push away the unwanted voices.

"The Wizarding world waits quietly to see if Voldemort is dead or alive. Classes resume and everyone goes back to their lives like this never really happened. Pansy and I keep you sane while St. Mungo's works on a cure." Blaise said quietly, trying not to sound depressed at the idea of spending more time then necessary at Hogwarts. He grinned as blue eyes rolled and the tiger stood nimbly, weaving his way gracefully towards the tent flap. His smile dissolved once the tiger had vanished through the swinging exit. He dropped his head into his palms and locked his fingers in his artfully styled hair. "Heros are always forgotten once they defeat their foes." He breathed, idly wondering if the tiger caught the words. Sighing, he rose fluidly and left the tent.

XxXxX

Harry stood awkwardly before the Forbidden Forest. He peered into its shadowed depths, watching as the leaves shifted beneath the soft wind. His ears picked up the delicate tread of something moving towards him from behind. Swinging his crowned head around, he internally smiled as the large white tiger wove a path towards him. Each paw was positioned carefully before any weight was applied to it, tail held ramrod straight.

"Morning Draco." He called, happy to finally see the other wizard. Chuckling in delight as the pale cat stumbled at the sound of his voice, he could only watch in amusement as the princely tiger tripped over his own paws.

"When I get over there, I'm going to bite you." Draco announced as he sorted himself out. Standing once again, he continued his quest to reach the stag's side, ignoring the dark animals snort of disbelief.

"At your current pace, I believe I'll have moved on by then." Harry teased, smirking as the tiger dropped to his belly beside him. Raising his gaze, the black stag peered into the forest, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Voldemort was out there somewhere. Alive. Sighing at the thought, he glanced down at the tiger before folding his legs and lying down.

"You do realize we're going to have to spend the rest of our lives like this, don't you?" Draco whispered softly, head shifting to rest across the stag's wide back. He allowed his eyes to drift shut drowsily, the suns fingers stroking him into a state of euphoria.

"Is the thought that daunting?" Harry replied, nostrils flaring as he inhaled the crisp scent of fresh grass beneath his muzzle. Giving into temptation, he took a nibble and almost groaned at the sweet taste.

Draco slid one eye open at the crunching sound, ears flicking forward. "Are you eating grass?" He questioned, voice dry as the stag's shifting back stilled under his head.

Snorting at the question, Harry took another mouthful before turning his head and peering over his shoulder at the tiger. "I may as well get used to it." He answered, chomping noisily on the green shoots he'd packed into his mouth. A sudden flurry of footsteps had the pair freezing, ears shifting as their noses searched for the cause.

Bursting forth from the forest before them, two grinning wolves, a coy mink, and a vixen with a bushy coat trotted towards the pair. Without speaking, the four arranged themselves around the stag and tiger. Huddling together in a small pile of fur, no words were spoken for several minutes.

"What do you think you're doing?" Draco asked finally, shoulder twitching beneath the head of the wolf that had propped himself up against the cat.

The white wolf stared at him for a moment before exchanging glances with the smiling red wolf. "_We're pack."_ He reminded softly, tail wagging as the other wolf gave a sharp yap of agreement.

"_And we're you're friends."_ The vixen murmured, giving a wide yawn before burying her pointed muzzle beneath her tail.

"You're all a bloody nuisance." Draco grumbled, closing his eyes again. The brush of fur against his sides and the steady sound of the stag's jaw working lulled him into sleep. Minutes later, the others followed him. Huddled against each other in comfort and love, they slept in the morning sun oblivious to the teachers, students, and Aurors pacing widely around them.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review! One more chapter and this story is done. At this point in time, I believe I have taken this story as far as I can. There is nothing else I'd like to see our little pack/herd do, so I guess it's time to finish this one up. Epilogue will follow next Friday.

MAnny2003 - lol, I told my dad that once and he gave me this weird look. I guess our parents never considered the fact that we don't have to learn if we don't want too.  
SilverJadlyn - I guess the tentative leader would be Odin, mostly because deer/elk are herd animals while tigers are solitary.  
NinjaoftheDarkness - lol, I don't know if I'd call that luck at all. I have no luck, be it good or bad.  
sbkar - There is no excuse for my horrid spelling and spacing. I apologize for rushing something I should have been more careful about.  
LandUnderWave - Actually it is the end, well almost the end. I don't believe it's necessary to drag this fic out any longer.  
HellHathNoFuryLikeMine - Ah, I didn't really consider Lucius' health. Let's just say that aside from the odd hoof shaped bruise he's fine and dandy.


	21. Epilogue A New Year

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.

**

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EPILOGUE - A New Year**

_Three Years Later_

The Hogwarts Express thundered into the Hogsmeade station as darkness settled completely over the small town. Disembarking in a flurry of black robes, students from first year to seventh scurried to their next mode of transportation. Carriages pulled by thestrals clattered towards the castle sitting brightly above Hogsmeade, bearing the older students on the final part of their journey. Little boats slid silently across the water into the depths of the castle, wide-eyed first years clinging to their sides. Upon reaching their destination, they climbed onto dry land and huddled together, eyes searching the cavernous area they stood in. Driven on, they soon found themselves standing at the bottom of a staircase.

All eyes immediately went to the witch standing quietly on the landing above them, her fingers drumming against the stone softly. Smiling at them, she tipped her head and allowed her eyes to travel over the group. Hand stilling on the banister, she stepped forward and began to speak. "Welcome to Hogwarts, I'm Professor Hermione Granger. The beginning of the term banquet will begin shortly. However, before the feast may begin, all of you must be sorted into one of the four houses. The house you are placed in shall be like your family for the duration of your stay with us. Every victory you make shall be made for your house, every loss will result in the removal of house points."

Turning slightly, she pointed a finger at the large shield secured to the wall behind her. The crest seemed to glow with an ethereal light, shining brightly upon the dark stone. Mouth gaping, a snake hissed angrily at the massive lion rearing arrogantly across from it, large paws resting possessively atop the H in the center of the shield. Below the silently feuding pair, a badger and an eagle watched on patiently. "Each of these animals represents one of the four houses. Gryffindor guarded by the lion, Hufflepuff the badger, Ravenclaw led by the eagle, and Slytherin by the cunning snake. All houses have an interesting history and are deeply rooted within the castle." Smiling, she gestured for them to follow and headed toward the large entrance doors leading into the Great Hall.

"Ma'am?" One of the first years whispered, hand shaking slightly as it was held aloft. "What are the other two for?"

Her eyebrows arched as she halted, glancing back at the young student who had asked the question. Seconds ticked by as she stared blankly at them before blinking and offering a small smile. Hermione allowed her gaze to drift back to the shield. To either side of the crest, a new addition sat. Forelegs braced upon a gold trimmed corner, a massive black stag held his antlers in a guard position. Emerald eyes flashed under the candlelight, making it appear as if he were watching the students pass beneath him. Across from him, a white tiger stood on its hind legs. Nails curved into the edge of the shield as he glowered at the stag, teeth visible between his slightly curled lips. "They are the guardians of Hogwarts, as well as two very respected members of it's staff. You should consider yourselves lucky, you will be taught by Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Together. . . together they are perhaps the best wizards residing in Europe." She gave a firm nod and waved the group onwards, tossing one last look at the crest. The tiger and the stag, protectors of Hogwarts and all those residing within its thick walls. Destined to forever live amongst students and their former professors.

XxXxX

The Great Hall was packed with students all clamoring loudly, impatiently waiting for the sorting to begin. Eyes constantly darted towards the large entrance doors as the students searched for their favourite professors. Fingers tapping as they glanced about for some sign that the pair were about to arrive. The thud of wood and the squeak of hinges had soft whispers filling the air. Older students rose respectfully as the doors swung open, all eyes turning to peer at the pair standing centered in the doorway.

With a spine tingling snarl, the ghostly tiger prowled forward, blue eyes scanning carefully over the tables. Behind him, the dark stag walked silently, his crowned head held high. Paws whispered over the stone floor and flickering candles were nudged aside by the sharp prongs as the two floated forward silently. Quiet hisses followed the beasts to the raised dais the teachers sat upon, awe and shock written across stunned faces as the tiger and stag took their place at the end of the table.

Rising, the headmistress smiled and nodded at the pair before taking her place at the podium. Her fingers grasped the wood of the stand as she looked over her students, carefully eyeing the new first years thoughtfully. "I welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts. For those of you still unaware, the former Headmaster resigned his position and is now happily catching up with old friends. This year shall hopefully prove to be as uneventful as the past few have been." She stated calmly, exchanging a wink with Hermione. Her gaze then moved to where Pansy Parkinson sat quietly beside Professor Snape, the young witch's eyes resting on the tiger on the other side of her. "I hope everyone has an exciting year and is prepared for the challenge of a new curriculum and several new classes." Clapping her hands, she resumed her seat and watched as platters appeared before the students.

XxXxX

The Forbidden Forest was dark; the moons light barely able to breach the thick branches hiding the green ground. Night birds called loudly, ignoring the animals that crept quietly around beneath them. In a small clearing, a black stag raised his head toward the dark sky and bellowed loudly. His cry echoed through the night, bringing silence to the forest for a moment as all those dwelling within it stopped to listen. As the first owl dared to shrill into the silence, the proud bay of a pair of wolves could be heard. Their voices rising and falling in the distance. Satisfied, the massive king lowered his crowned head and nudged the cat lying at his feet.

Yawning widely, the tiger snarled and raised a soft paw to rest between the stag's antlers, claws carefully retracted. Blue eyes dropped to half-mast as the cat flicked its tail and rose. Stretching lazily, he tipped his head back and roared at the branches overhead. His ears twisted and twitched as he listened for a response. At the continued silence, he smirked in a tigerish way before pressing his body to the stag's forelegs and collapsing at his hooves. With no challenger and no danger lurking in the nearby brush, he slitted his eyes and sought sleep.

Shaking his head in amusement, the stag turned his gaze back to the nights sky. They still had hope, and they still had the comforting presence of their friends. Progress was made daily, doctors ever closer to freeing the wizards from their current prisons. But for now, for now they could be simple creatures whose lives were based around food and safety. And there was truly no place safer then together.

XxXxX

Deeper in the forest, sliding quietly through the thick brush, a pale snake slid. It froze as the challenging cries rose and fell away, loosing the breath it had taken as the forest resumed its natural pattern. Tongue flicking, he sought the safest path to his underground lair, weaving his way between stumps and thick bushes. At the soft flutter of wings, he narrowed his red eyes and slipped deeper into the bowels of the forest, seeking to escape the clutching talons of the hungry owl. It was sad really, the current state he was in. Narrowing his slitted eyes in annoyance, Voldemort curled himself into a ball under an uprooted tree and glared out at the night.

The End

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A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Well, this is it: the end. I had a great time writing this fic and enjoyed being able to add a bit more humour to it then I usually would have. The ending could of been a bit happier, I mean I could of at least had the decency to give them their human bodies back, but lets all let sleeping dragons lie. Hope everyone enjoyed the reading as much as I enjoyed the writing. Good reading and happy writing all!

HellHathNoFuryLikeMine - lol, I hate writing summaries! You have three sentences to explain the complete concept of your story in hopes of attracting readers, horrible really.  
Grimmer - Glad I could be of service, I love taking Harry and placing him in different animagus forms.  
red-headed-psychopaths-wanted - This is, unfortunately, the final chapter of this story.  
kazzzaaa - Yah, human speech in an animal body and they shall indeed be able to do magic.


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